---
title: Burns Lake backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules
question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?"
place: Burns Lake, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/burns-lake
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Burns Lake
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/backyard-chickens/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/backyard-chickens.json"
---

# Burns Lake backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

**Question:** Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Burns Lake, https://www.burnslake.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit, licence or fee for hens is stated in the zoning bylaw.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village Office (Planning), 250-692-7587 (planning@burnslake.ca)

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026, s. 7.1.3 (R1 accessory uses); s. 4.8.1](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "(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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Most hens:** Six hens.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026, s. 4.8.1(b)](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "(b) The maximum number of Hens permitted is six (6);"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Roosters:** No. Roosters are not permitted on any property that allows hen keeping.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026, s. 4.8.1(c)](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "(c) No Roosters shall be permitted on any property that allows Hen Keeping;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coop rules:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026, s. 4.8.2](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "(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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permit or registration:** Not confirmed. The Village's zoning bylaw does not state a permit or fee for hens.
- **Bees:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026, s. 4.9.1; s. 7.1.3](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "(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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **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. Livestock means horses, cattle, sheep, swine, llamas, farmed game and similar animals. Agriculture is not a permitted use in the R1 zone.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026, ss. 2.3, 4.4, 6.1.2](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "“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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Burns Lake Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008 (consolidated up to April 2026), ss. 4.4, 4.8, 4.9 and 7.1
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026, Cover](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)
  - Official wording: "ZONING BYLAW NO. 880, 2008" … "Consolidated up to April 2026"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The 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.

## Good to know

- Hens: six at most. Roosters are not permitted on any property that allows hens. Killing hens within the R1 zone is prohibited.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008 (consolidated to April 2026) (PDF)](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Houston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/houston/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Granisle](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/granisle/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Fort St James](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-james/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Vanderhoof](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Telkwa](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/telkwa/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Smithers](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 880, 2008, consolidated up to April 2026 (PDF), Village of Burns Lake](https://www.burnslake.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-880-2008-sch-123-c20260417pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Contact, Village of Burns Lake](https://www.burnslake.ca/contact) (read 2026-11-08)

_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. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Burns Lake. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/burns-lake/backyard-chickens/_