{"title":"Bowen Island backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","question":"Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Bowen Island?","slug":"backyard-chickens","place":{"path":"ca/bc/bowen-island","name":"Bowen Island","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"pets-and-wildlife","name":"Pets, animals and wildlife"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"Bowen Island Municipality","url":"https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca"},"short_answer":"Bowen Island's Land Use Bylaw does not mention hens, chickens, roosters or bees. It allows \"domestic agriculture\" for personal use in some residential zones, but does not say whether hens count. No hen limit, coop rule or permit is set. Ask Planning before buying birds.","aliases":["backyard chickens bowen island","keep hens bowen island","bees bowen island","livestock bowen island"],"cost":"No permit or fee for hens is stated.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Planning Department","value":"604-947-4255 ext. 6"},{"type":"email","label":"Planning Department email","value":"planning@bimbc.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Services","value":"604-947-4255 ext. 2","note":"Municipal offices: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/"}],"related":[{"slug":"how-many-pets","title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Bowen Island","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/how-many-pets/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/west-vancouver","name":"West Vancouver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/west-vancouver/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/gibsons","name":"Gibsons","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gibsons/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lions-bay","name":"Lions Bay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lions-bay/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/north-vancouver-district","name":"District of North Vancouver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver-district/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/north-vancouver","name":"North Vancouver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-vancouver/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/vancouver","name":"Vancouver","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vancouver/backyard-chickens/"}],"topic":{"title":"Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens/"},"facts":{"hens_allowed":{"label":"Hens allowed","value":"The Land Use Bylaw does not mention hens or chickens. It lists 'domestic agriculture' (growing or rearing any agricultural product for the occupant's personal use) as an accessory use in the Rural Residential (RR 1, RR 2, RR 3) and Settlement Residential (SR 1, SR 2) zones. It does not say whether hens count.","short":"Not named in bylaw; unclear","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","section":"s. 1 definitions","quotes":["means the growing or rearing of any agricultural product for the personal","use of the occupant of the lot."]},{"url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","section":"ss. 4.1.1, 4.5.1","quotes":["4.1.1 Permitted Uses of Land, Buildings and Structures","Domestic Agriculture ♦ ♦ ♦","4.5.1 Permitted Uses of Land, Buildings and Structures","Domestic Agriculture ♦ ♦"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"max_hens":{"label":"Most hens","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Bowen Island's bylaws set no hen limit, coop rule or permit.","sources":[]},"roosters":{"label":"Roosters","value":null,"status":"none","note":"The bylaws read for Bowen Island set no rooster rule.","sources":[]},"coop_rules":{"label":"Coop rules","value":"No coop rules found. One general rule: keeping of livestock or poultry may not be conducted within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, or 50 metres of a water reservoir or lake.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","section":"s. 3.21","quotes":["No use, including those uses listed below, shall be conducted within thirty (30) metres","keeping of livestock or poultry or storage of agricultural waste;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"registration":{"label":"Permit or registration","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Bowen Island's bylaws set no hen limit, coop rule or permit.","sources":[]},"bees":{"label":"Bees","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"Bowen Island's Land Use Bylaw does not mention bees.","sources":[]},"other_livestock":{"label":"Other livestock","value":"Agriculture (rearing crops, plants, livestock and other animals, subject to Provincial regulation) and stables are permitted principal uses in the Rural Residential zones RR 1, RR 2 and RR 3. In RR 1(c) areas, agriculture is limited to lots of 1 hectare and larger. Livestock and poultry may not be kept within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, or 50 metres of a lake.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","section":"s. 1 definition","quotes":["the growing, rearing, producing or","harvesting of crops, plants, livestock and other animals subject to Provincial Regulation"]},{"url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","section":"s. 4.1.4(3)","quotes":["Agriculture use and horticulture use is limited to lots 1 hectare (2.47","acres) and larger."]},{"url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","section":"s. 3.21","quotes":["keeping of livestock or poultry or storage of agricultural waste;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Bowen Island Municipality Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","section":"title","quotes":["BOWEN ISLAND MUNICIPALITY LAND USE BYLAW NO. 57, 2002","CONSOLIDATED FOR CONVENIENCE – November 2025"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":8,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":3,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe [Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002](https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/) does not mention hens, chickens, roosters or bees. It lists \"domestic agriculture\" (growing or rearing any agricultural product for the occupant's personal use) as an accessory use in the Rural Residential zones RR 1, RR 2 and RR 3 and the Settlement Residential zones SR 1 and SR 2. It does not say whether hens count. The Village Residential zones VR 1 and VR 2 list no domestic agriculture. Find your lot's zone on Schedule B (the Land Use Map).\n\n## Good to know\n\n- No number of hens, rooster rule, coop rule or permit is set in the bylaws we read.\n- Keeping livestock or poultry may not be done within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, or 50 metres of a water reservoir or lake.\n- Agriculture (rearing crops, plants, livestock and other animals, subject to Provincial regulation) and stables are permitted principal uses in RR 1, RR 2 and RR 3. In RR 1(c) areas, agriculture is limited to lots of 1 hectare and larger.\n- Before getting birds or bees, ask Planning at 604-947-4255 ext. 6 or planning@bimbc.ca.","sources":[{"url":"https://bowenisland.civicweb.net/document/190971/","title":"Land Use Bylaw No. 57, 2002 (consolidated November 2025) (PDF), Bowen Island Municipality","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca/services/bylaw-enforcement/","title":"Bylaw Enforcement, Bowen Island Municipality","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://bowenislandmunicipality.ca/contact/","title":"Contact, Bowen Island Municipality","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 3 are recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/backyard-chickens/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/backyard-chickens.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/bowen-island/backyard-chickens.json"}}