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

# Gold River backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**Short answer:** In Gold River, poultry counts as livestock. Livestock is allowed in residential zones only on lots of at least 0.81 hectares (2.0 acres), with no more than twelve head of poultry per 0.40 hectare (1 acre). The bylaws do not mention roosters or bees.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Gold River, https://goldriver.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit, licence or fee for hens is stated.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Village Hall, (250) 283-2202

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** Poultry counts as livestock. Livestock is allowed in residential zones only if the lot is at least 0.81 ha (2.0 acres) and the keeping follows the Animal Control Bylaw. The Rural Residential (R-R) zone lists the keeping of livestock as a permitted use.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.5.1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "The keeping of livestock in accordance with the Village Animal Control Bylaw shall be permitted in residential zones provided that:" … "the lot is a minimum of 0.81 ha (2.0 acres) in area."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 2.0 "Livestock"](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "sold and includes any horse, cow, goat, sheep, pig, poultry or rabbit. "Lot" means the smallest unit in which land is designated as"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 7.1.6](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "agricultural uses and the keeping of livestock subject to the requirements of"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Most hens:** Not more than twelve head of poultry for each 0.40 ha (1 acre) of lot area, and only on residential lots of at least 0.81 ha (2.0 acres).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.5.1(2)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "not more than twelve (12) head of poultry for each 0.40 ha (1 acre) of lot area." … "the lot is a minimum of 0.81 ha (2.0 acres) in area." … "head of poultry for each 0.40 ha (1 acre) of lot area."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Roosters:** Not confirmed. The bylaws read do not mention roosters.
- **Coop rules:** Structures for livestock must be at least 6.1 m (20 feet) from side and rear lot lines and at least 7.6 m (25 feet) from the principal building. Enclosures for livestock may not be built or used in the front yard.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.5.1(3)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "structures for the accommodation of livestock shall be located a minimum" … "distance of 6.1 m (20 feet) from the side and rear lot lines, nor less than 7.6" … "m (25 feet) from the principal building on the lot."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.5.1(4)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "enclosures for the keeping of livestock shall not be constructed or utilized"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Permit or registration:** Not confirmed. No permit or registration for hens is stated in the bylaws read.
- **Bees:** Not confirmed. Beekeeping is not mentioned in the bylaws searched.
- **Other livestock:** Livestock is limited to a total of not more than two of the following: horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and rabbits (plus poultry as above), on lots of at least 0.81 ha (2.0 acres) in residential zones.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.5.1(2)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "livestock is limited to a total of not more than two (2) of the following:" … "horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, rabbits"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, s. 4.5.1(1)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "the lot is a minimum of 0.81 ha (2.0 acres) in area."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Gold River Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 (s. 4.5), with the Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 736, 2022
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025, Title](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "VILLAGE OF GOLD RIVER ZONING BYLAW NO. 761, 2025"
  - Source: [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 736, 2022, s. 1.1](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Bylaw-No-736-2022-Animal-Control-Bylaw.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 736, 2022"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

Under section 4.5 of the [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf), poultry counts as livestock. Livestock is allowed in residential zones only if the lot is at least 0.81 hectares (2.0 acres) and the keeping follows the [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 736, 2022](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Bylaw-No-736-2022-Animal-Control-Bylaw.pdf). The Rural Residential (R-R) zone lists keeping livestock as a permitted use; the permitted-use list for the R-L zone does not mention it.

## Good to know

- Poultry: no more than twelve head per 0.40 hectare (1 acre) of lot area.
- Other livestock: a total of no more than two horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, goats or rabbits, in addition to poultry.
- Livestock structures must be at least 6.1 metres (20 feet) from side and rear lot lines and at least 7.6 metres (25 feet) from the principal building. Livestock enclosures may not be built or used in the front yard.
- Keeping must also meet the local Medical Health Officer's requirements.
- Roosters are not mentioned. The animal bylaw bans a habitually noisy dog and keeping animals to the extent of a nuisance.
- Beekeeping is not mentioned in the bylaws searched, and no permit or registration for hens is stated. Call Village Hall at (250) 283-2202 to check.

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf)
- [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 736, 2022 (PDF)](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Bylaw-No-736-2022-Animal-Control-Bylaw.pdf)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Gold River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/how-many-pets.md)
- [Gold River zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Gold River noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/noise-rules.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Tahsis](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tahsis/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Campbell River](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/campbell-river/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Tofino](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tofino/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Cumberland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cumberland/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Courtenay](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/courtenay/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Comox](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/comox/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 761, 2025 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bylaw-No-761-2025-Zoning-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Animal Control and Pound Bylaw No. 736, 2022 (PDF), Village of Gold River](https://goldriver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Bylaw-No-736-2022-Animal-Control-Bylaw.pdf) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 3 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Gold River. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/gold-river/backyard-chickens/_