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

# Cumberland backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**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.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Cumberland, https://cumberland.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit, licence or registration fee for keeping hens was found.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Email: Planning (zoning questions), planning@cumberland.ca
- Phone: Village Office, 250-336-2291 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026), Table 10.2(1); Table 6.8(1)](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Agriculture, Urban 1 S S S2 S S S" … "The keeping of poultry is only" … "permitted in a rear yard."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Most hens:** Six female birds per lot.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026), Table 6.8(1), Other Restrictions](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf)
  - Official wording: "A maximum of six female birds and" … "zero male birds are permitted per lot."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Roosters:** No. The limit is zero male birds per lot.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026), Table 6.8(1), Other Restrictions](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf)
  - Official wording: "A maximum of six female birds and" … "zero male birds are permitted per lot."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coop rules:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026), Table 6.8(1)](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permit or registration:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read.
- **Bees:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026), Table 6.8(1) and conditions](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Other livestock:** 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.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026), Table 10.2(1) footnote 2](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf)
  - Official wording: "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."
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017 (consolidated December 18, 2020), s. 2, POULTRY](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf)
  - Official wording: "including but not limited to chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and pigeons."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (s. 6.8, Table 10.2(1)); Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026), s. 1.1](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as “Village of Cumberland Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025”."
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017 (consolidated December 18, 2020), s. 1](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw shall be cited as “Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017”."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under 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.

## Good to know

- Hens: six female birds per lot, and no roosters.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Rules in mixed-use and rural zones were not checked. Ask Planning at planning@cumberland.ca about your lot.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf)
- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017 (PDF)](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/how-many-pets.md)
- [Cumberland dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/dog-licence.md)
- [Cumberland zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/zoning-lookup.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Powell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/powell-river/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Port Alberni](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-alberni/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Qualicum Beach](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/qualicum-beach/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1238, 2025 (consolidated July 27, 2026) (PDF)](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Bylaw-1238-consolidated_27Jul2026_nav.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 1061, 2017 (consolidated December 18, 2020) (PDF)](https://cumberland.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Bylaw-1061-CONS-Dec-18-2020.pdf) (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 Cumberland. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/backyard-chickens/_