{"title":"Cumberland backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","question":"Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Cumberland?","slug":"backyard-chickens","place":{"path":"ca/bc/cumberland","name":"Cumberland","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 Cumberland","url":"https://cumberland.ca"},"short_answer":"Yes. In Cumberland's residential zones you may keep up to six hens and no roosters per lot, in the rear yard only, with no permit found. Bees are allowed on lots of at least 550 m², with two hives at most. Other livestock is allowed only in the R-3 zone on large lots.","aliases":["backyard chickens cumberland","keep hens cumberland bc","beekeeping cumberland","livestock bylaw cumberland"],"cost":"No permit, licence or registration fee for keeping hens was found.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"email","label":"Planning (zoning questions)","value":"planning@cumberland.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"Village Office","value":"250-336-2291","note":"Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf"},{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017 (PDF)","url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"how-many-pets","title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Cumberland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/how-many-pets/"},{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Cumberland dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dog-licence/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Cumberland zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/courtenay","name":"Courtenay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/comox","name":"Comox","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/campbell-river","name":"Campbell River","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/powell-river","name":"Powell River","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-alberni","name":"Port Alberni","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/qualicum-beach","name":"Qualicum Beach","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/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. Urban agriculture, which includes keeping poultry, is allowed as a secondary use in the residential zones, and poultry may be kept only in the rear yard.","short":"Yes, residential zones, rear yard only","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Table 10.2(1); Table 6.8(1)","quotes":["Agriculture, Urban 1 S S S2 S S S","The keeping of poultry is only","permitted in a rear yard."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"max_hens":{"label":"Most hens","value":"Six female birds per lot.","short":"Six female birds","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Table 6.8(1), Other Restrictions","quotes":["A maximum of six female birds and","zero male birds are permitted per lot."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"roosters":{"label":"Roosters","value":"No. The limit is zero male birds per lot.","short":"No","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Table 6.8(1), Other Restrictions","quotes":["A maximum of six female birds and","zero male birds are permitted per lot."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"coop_rules":{"label":"Coop rules","value":"Rear yard only. A coop and run must be at least 1.5 m from all lot lines (0 m from a lot line next to a non-residential zone if opaque screening is provided) and at least 4.5 m from a lot line next to a residential lot. Coop height at most 3.5 m. No on-site slaughter.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Table 6.8(1)","quotes":["The maximum height of any accessory building or structure used for urban agriculture is 3.5 metres.","must be setback a minimum of 1.5","set back a minimum of 4.5 metres","On-site slaughter of poultry is prohibited."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"registration":{"label":"Permit or registration","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"bees":{"label":"Bees","value":"Allowed on lots of at least 550 m², with at most two hives and two nucs per lot. Hives need ventilation and water, must be 6.0 m from sidewalks, highways and lot lines next to residential or public-use lots, and need a 1.8 m flyway barrier unless set back 7.6 m from all lot lines.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Table 6.8(1) and conditions","quotes":["Minimum Lot Area n/a 550.0 m² n/a","A maximum of two hives and two","nucs are permitted per lot.","All hives must be setback a minimum","of 6.0 metres from all sidewalks,","A “flyway barrier” comprised of a solid fence or dense hedge which is a minimum of 1.8 metres in height, must be placed, within 1.5 metres"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"other_livestock":{"label":"Other livestock","value":"Only in the R-3 zone on lots larger than 0.4 ha: animals kept for food, fur or similar products, including horses, cattle, sheep, goats and rabbits (not hogs, pigs or peacocks). Ducks and geese count as poultry in the Animal Control Bylaw.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","section":"Table 10.2(1) footnote 2","quotes":["For lots larger than 0.4 hectares, urban agriculture may include the keeping of animals used in the production of food, fur, or similar","products, including horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and rabbits, but specifically excluding hogs, pigs and peacocks."]},{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017 (consolidated December 18, 2020) (PDF)","section":"s. 2, POULTRY","quotes":["including but not limited to chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and pigeons."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (s. 6.8, Table 10.2(1)); Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","section":"s. 1.1","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited as “Village of Cumberland Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025”."]},{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017 (consolidated December 18, 2020) (PDF)","section":"s. 1","quotes":["This Bylaw shall be cited as “Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017”."]}],"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\nUnder the [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238](<https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf>), urban agriculture (which includes keeping poultry) is a secondary use allowed in Cumberland's residential zones R-1, R-2, R-3, R-MHP, R-RTMU and R-MU. Poultry may be kept only in the rear yard. No permit, licence or registration for hens was found in the zoning or animal control bylaws.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Hens: six female birds per lot, and no roosters.\n- Coop and run: at least 1.5 m from all lot lines (0 m from a lot line next to a non-residential zone if opaque screening is provided), and at least 4.5 m from a lot line next to a residential lot. Coop height is 3.5 m at most. No on-site slaughter.\n- Bees: allowed on lots of at least 550 m², with at most two hives and two nucs per lot. Hives need ventilation and water, and must be 6.0 m from sidewalks, highways and lot lines next to residential or public-use lots. They need a 1.8 m flyway barrier unless set back 7.6 m from all lot lines.\n- Other livestock: only in the R-3 zone on lots larger than 0.4 ha. This covers animals kept for food, fur or similar products, including horses, cattle, sheep, goats and rabbits (not hogs, pigs or peacocks).\n- Under the [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061](<https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf>), poultry (including ducks and geese) must not stray.\n- Rules in mixed-use and rural zones were not checked. Ask Planning at planning@cumberland.ca about your lot.","sources":[{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017 (consolidated December 18, 2020) (PDF)","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/cumberland/backyard-chickens/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/backyard-chickens.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/backyard-chickens.json"}}