Fort St James backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules
Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Fort St James?
Short answer
In Fort St James, up to four hens are allowed in the R-1 (Residential - Single Family) zone, for personal use only. Roosters are not allowed. Bees are allowed in R-1 and rural residential zones. No permit or fee for hens is stated in the bylaw.
Key facts
| Hens allowed | Yes, in the R-1 (Residential - Single Family) zoning district, for personal use, provided no neighbourhood health, environmental or nuisance problems result. The keeper must live on the property or have the owner's written permission.Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 5.2.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingIn the R-1 (Residential – Single Family) zoning district, the keeping of up to four (4) backyard hens is permitted for personal use, provided that no neighbourhood Reside on the property where the hens are kept, or obtain written permission |
|---|---|
| Most hens | Up to four hens.Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 5.2.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingthe keeping of up to four |
| Roosters | Not allowed (prohibited).Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 5.2.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wording(4) backyard hens is permitted for personal use, provided that no neighbourhood health, environmental or nuisance problems result. Roosters are prohibited. A person who keeps one or more hens, must: |
| Coop rules | Hens in a fully fenced back or side yard. Coop at least 1.5 m from the property line and 3 m from windows and doors of the dwelling. At least 0.5 m² of coop floor and 1.0 m of roofed outdoor enclosure per hen; one perch (15 cm) per hen and a nest box in each coop; no cages; coop fully enclosed, sanitary and in good repair.Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 5.2.1(b)-(g) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingSituate hens in a back or side yard which is fully fenced; Situate coops at least on and a half meters from the property line and three meters from windows and doors off dwelling; Provide each hen with at least 0.5 meters squared of coop floor area Not keep hens in a cage; |
| Permit or registration | Not confirmed. The bylaw states no permit, licence or fee for hens. |
| Bees | Allowed on R-1 parcels (maximum two colonies) and rural residential RU-1 to RU-3 parcels (maximum four colonies). Beekeepers must register with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and follow Bee Regulation 3/2015, on a parcel of at least 370 m², with hives in the rear yard, and must notify surrounding neighbours.Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 5.3.3; Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 5.3.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingA person must not keep more than two (2) colonies of bees on a parcel designated Single Family (R-1). four (4) colonies of bees on a parcel designated Rural Residential (RU-1, RU-2 or RU-3). All beekeepers in the District of Fort St. James must register with the BC Ministry of Agriculture (e) Keep bees on a parcel of land which is equal to or greater than 370 m2. |
| Other livestock | Domestic farm animals (horse, mule, donkey, emu, llama, ostrich, pot belly pig, swine, sheep, goat, cow) not in a house, duplex or apartment, and only where zoning permits. Poultry, including ducks and geese, only on R-1 or RU-1 to RU-3 parcels, not in a dwelling.Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 5.2.2-5.2.3; Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 2.19 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingA person must not keep a domestic farm animal in any single-family dwelling, A person must not keep a domestic farm animal on any parcel except as permitted Poultry means a chicken, rooster, turkey, goose, duck, fowl, or other bird normally Domestic Farm Animal means a horse, mule, donkey, emu, hinny, llama, ostrich, |
| Bylaw | Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006 (office consolidation March 27, 2025, amended by Bylaw No. 1081, 2025)Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025, s. 1.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wording“District of Fort St. James Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006” |
How it works
The District's Animal Regulation Bylaw 833 allows hens only in the R-1 (Residential - Single Family) zoning district, for personal use, provided no neighbourhood health, environmental or nuisance problems result. The keeper must live on the property or have the owner's written permission. A hen is a female chicken at least four months old.
Rules for hens
- Up to four hens. Roosters are prohibited.
- Hens must be in a fully fenced back or side yard.
- The coop must be at least 1.5 m from the property line and 3 m from the windows and doors of the dwelling.
- Each hen needs at least 0.5 m² of coop floor and 1.0 m of roofed outdoor enclosure, one 15 cm perch, and a nest box in each coop. No cages. The coop must be fully enclosed, sanitary and in good repair.
- Eggs and other products may not be sold, and hens may not be slaughtered on the property.
Good to know
- The bylaw states no permit, licence or fee for hens.
- Bees are allowed on R-1 parcels (maximum two colonies) and rural residential RU-1 to RU-3 parcels (maximum four colonies). Beekeepers must register with the BC Ministry of Agriculture, follow Bee Regulation 3/2015, have a parcel of at least 370 m², keep hives in the rear yard, and notify surrounding neighbours. The fine for bees contrary to the bylaw is $100.
- Other poultry, including ducks and geese, only on R-1 or RU-1 to RU-3 parcels, and not in a dwelling.
- Farm animals (horse, mule, donkey, emu, llama, ostrich, pot belly pig, swine, sheep, goat, cow) are allowed only where zoning permits and not in a house, duplex or apartment. Ask the District office at 250-996-8233 about your zone.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Vanderhoof · Burns Lake · Mackenzie · Granisle · Houston · Telkwa
Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Animal Regulation Bylaw No. 833, 2006, office consolidation March 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James (read 2026-11-08)
- Zoning Bylaw No. 1101, 2025 (PDF), District of Fort St James (read 2026-11-08)
- Contact Us, District of Fort St James (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. How answers are checked.