{"title":"Burns Lake backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","question":"Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?","slug":"backyard-chickens","place":{"path":"ca/bc/burns-lake","name":"Burns Lake","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":"Village of Burns Lake","url":"https://www.burnslake.ca"},"short_answer":"In Burns Lake, up to six hens are allowed in the R1 (Residential Low Density) zone only, with no roosters. Beehives are allowed in the R1 zone, up to 4 on lots over 1830 m² and 2 on smaller lots. The Village's zoning bylaw sets the rules.","aliases":["chickens burns lake","backyard hens burns lake","beekeeping burns lake","livestock burns lake"],"cost":"No permit, licence or fee for hens is stated in the zoning bylaw.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office (Planning)","value":"250-692-7587","note":"planning@burnslake.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008 (consolidated to April 2026) (PDF)","url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf"}],"related":[],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/houston","name":"Houston","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/granisle","name":"Granisle","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/fort-st-james","name":"Fort St James","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/vanderhoof","name":"Vanderhoof","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/telkwa","name":"Telkwa","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/smithers","name":"Smithers","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/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":"Yes, in the R1 (Residential Low Density) zone only, as an accessory use. Hens must be kept by a resident of the dwelling on the same lot, for personal use only.","short":"Yes, R1 zone only","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 7.1.3 (R1 accessory uses); s. 4.8.1","quotes":["(e) hen keeping; and","(a) Hens must be kept by a resident of the dwelling unit on the same Lot;","(d) Hens are permitted for personal use only, and selling eggs, manure, meat, or other"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"max_hens":{"label":"Most hens","value":"Six hens.","short":"Six hens","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 4.8.1(b)","quotes":["(b) The maximum number of Hens permitted is six (6);"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"roosters":{"label":"Roosters","value":"No. Roosters are not permitted on any property that allows hen keeping.","short":"No","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 4.8.1(c)","quotes":["(c) No Roosters shall be permitted on any property that allows Hen Keeping;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"coop_rules":{"label":"Coop rules","value":"Hens must be in a coop with a floor area of at most 9.2 m², at least 0.92 m² of roofed outdoor enclosure, no taller than 2 m, in the rear yard only, at least 5 m from a dwelling on an adjacent property, and the rear yard must be fully fenced to keep predators out and hens in.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 4.8.2","quotes":["(a) A maximum floor area of 9.2 m2;","(b) Provide a minimum of 0.92 m2 of roofed outdoor enclosure;","(c) The height shall not exceed 2 m as measured from the finished grade;","(d) Shall be located only in the Rear Yard of the Lot;","(e) The minimum setback from a dwelling on an adjacent property is 5 m; and","(f) The Coop must be in a rear yard that is fully fenced in as to not allow predators to"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"registration":{"label":"Permit or registration","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_published","note":"The Village's zoning bylaw does not state a permit or fee for hens.","sources":[]},"bees":{"label":"Bees","value":"Allowed as an accessory use in the R1 zone (and in the P2 Park and Open Space zone). At most 4 beehives on lots over 1830 m², 2 on lots under 1830 m²; hives at least 3 m from any property line. In R1, hives go in the rear yard only, which must be fully fenced.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"s. 4.9.1; s. 7.1.3","quotes":["(a) A maximum of four (4) Beehives are permitted on lots greater than 1830 m2;","(b) A maximum of two (2) Beehives are permitted on lots less than 1830 m2;","(d) In the R1 Zone, Beehives shall be located only in the Rear Yard of the Lot; and","(f) beekeeping."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"other_livestock":{"label":"Other livestock","value":"Where agriculture is a permitted use (for example RR1 and UR), livestock on parcels of 2 ha or less is limited to 1 animal unit (450 kg) per 0.4 ha. Livestock means horses, cattle, sheep, swine, llamas, farmed game and similar animals. Agriculture is not a permitted use in the R1 zone.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"ss. 2.3, 4.4, 6.1.2","quotes":["“livestock” means horses, cattle, sheep, swine, llamas, farmed game and other such animals;","exceed 1 animal unit (with 1 animal unit being equal to 450 kg of livestock) for each","(a) agriculture;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Village of Burns Lake Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008 (consolidated up to April 2026), ss. 4.4, 4.8, 4.9 and 7.1","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","section":"Cover","quotes":["ZONING BYLAW NO. 880, 2008","Consolidated up to April 2026"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":8,"stated":7,"matched":7,"none":0,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe Village's [Zoning Bylaw No. 880](<https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf>) allows hen keeping as an accessory use in the R1 (Residential Low Density) zone only. Hens must be kept by a resident of the dwelling on the same lot, for personal use only. It lists hens in no other zone.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Hens: six at most. Roosters are not permitted on any property that allows hens. Killing hens within the R1 zone is prohibited.\n- Coop: floor area at most 9.2 m², at least 0.92 m² of roofed outdoor enclosure, no taller than 2 m, in the rear yard only, at least 5 m from a dwelling on an adjacent property. The rear yard must be fully fenced to keep predators out and hens in.\n- Bees: allowed in the R1 and P2 (Park and Open Space) zones. At most 4 hives on lots over 1830 m² and 2 on lots under 1830 m², hives at least 3 m from any property line. In R1, hives go in the rear yard only, which must be fully fenced.\n- Other livestock: where agriculture is a permitted use (for example RR1 and UR), livestock on parcels of 2 ha or less is limited to 1 animal unit (450 kg) per 0.4 ha. Agriculture is not permitted in R1.\n- No permit or fee for hens is stated. Ducks and goats are not named. Ask the Village planner at planning@burnslake.ca or 250-692-7587.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.burnslake.ca/contact","title":"Contact, Village of Burns Lake","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 7 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/backyard-chickens/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/backyard-chickens.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/backyard-chickens.json"}}