{"title":"Kamloops backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","question":"Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?","slug":"backyard-chickens","place":{"path":"ca/bc/kamloops","name":"Kamloops","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":"City of Kamloops","url":"https://www.kamloops.ca"},"short_answer":"Yes, with limits. In the City of Kamloops, single-family and two-family residential lots of 370 m2 to 1 acre can keep 2 to 5 hens (no roosters or chicks) after a free online registration and a coop inspection. Bees need a permitted zone; farm animals need at least one acre.","aliases":["urban hens kamloops","backyard chickens kamloops","beekeeping kamloops","livestock kamloops","register hens kamloops"],"cost":"Hen registration is free.","how_long":"A Community Services Officer inspects the coop within two weeks of registering.","where":[{"type":"online","label":"Backyard hens registration form","value":"https://www.kamloops.ca/form/backyard-hens-registration-form"},{"type":"phone","label":"Community Services (animal control)","value":"250-828-3409"},{"type":"email","label":"Community Services (animal control)","value":"communityservices@kamloops.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Urban Hens, City of Kamloops","url":"https://www.kamloops.ca/our-community/community-initiatives/food-urban-agriculture/urban-hens"},{"title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206"}],"related":[{"slug":"how-many-pets","title":"How many dogs or cats you can keep in Kamloops","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/how-many-pets/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/chase","name":"Chase","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chase/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/barriere","name":"Barriere","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/logan-lake","name":"Logan Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/logan-lake/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/ashcroft","name":"Ashcroft","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/ashcroft/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/merritt","name":"Merritt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/merritt/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/enderby","name":"Enderby","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/enderby/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, hens only, on residential-zoned lots of 370 m² up to 4,000 m² (1 acre) with a single-family or two-family permitted use. The owner must live on the property as their principal residence. Two-family (duplex) lots also need a fully fenced rear yard with the hen owner's part fenced off.","short":"Yes, lots of 370 m² to 4,000 m², owner lives there","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","section":"Table 9.1.1; ss. 9.1.5, 9.2.2, 9.5.1","quotes":["Hens only, no","Residential zoned","unless that person resides upon and uses that property as their principal residence","unless the rear yard of the two-family property is fully fenced"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"max_hens":{"label":"Most hens","value":"Minimum two, maximum five hens on a residential lot under 1 acre.","short":"Two to five hens","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","section":"Table 9.1.1","quotes":["Permitted Minimum 370 m2 Residential zoned Hens only, no Minimum two (2) (.037 ha) up to property with a roosters and no hens to a","4,000 m2 permitted use of chicks maximum of (0.4047 ha or single-family or five (5) hens 1 ac.) two-family"]},{"url":"https://www.kamloops.ca/our-community/community-initiatives/food-urban-agriculture/urban-hens","title":"Urban Hens, City of Kamloops","section":"page","quotes":["minimum two, maximum five hens"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"roosters":{"label":"Roosters","value":"No. Roosters and chicks (chickens under three months old) are not allowed on residential-zoned property.","short":"No","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","section":"s. 9.1.2; s. 1.2","quotes":["shall suffer or permit the keeping of any rooster or any chick(s) upon any residential-zoned property","“Chick” means a chicken less than three (3) months of age"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"coop_rules":{"label":"Coop rules","value":"Coop in the rear yard only, at least 1 m from side and rear lot lines and 3 m from any door or window of a dwelling; fenced rear yard 1.2 m to 2 m high; at least 0.5 m² indoors and 1 m² covered outdoor run per hen; a nesting box and roost for each hen; total no more than 10 m² and 2 m high. Hens must be inside the indoor part from dusk to dawn.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","section":"ss. 9.2.1, 9.3.1, 9.3.4","quotes":["wholly in the rear yard of the property;","at least 3 m from any door or window of any dwelling containing human habitation","provides at least 0.5 m2 of fully enclosed indoor floor area per hen","is not greater than 10 m2 in overall floor area for both indoor and outdoor enclosed areas combined","during night time hours (between dusk and dawn)"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"registration":{"label":"Permit or registration","value":"Registration with the City is required before keeping hens (online form); no fee. A Community Services Officer inspects the coop within two weeks of registering.","short":"Yes, no fee","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","section":"ss. 9.4.1, 9.4.6","quotes":["must prior to any such owning, keeping, or harbouring, register with the City","No fee shall be payable to register hens upon a residential zoned parcel."]},{"url":"https://www.kamloops.ca/our-community/community-initiatives/food-urban-agriculture/urban-hens","title":"Urban Hens, City of Kamloops","section":"page","quotes":["Self-registration is required and free of charge.","will arrange a time with you to inspect your coop and confirm your information within two weeks of registering your hens"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bees":{"label":"Bees","value":"Allowed with limits: zones A-1, FD, CR-1 to CR-3, RS-1 to RS-5 and RT-1 to RT-3 (and some P zones for community gardens) on parcels of at least 370 m². On residential lots hives must be in the rear yard. Hive limits: 2 hives on parcels under 929 m², 4 under 1,858 m², 6 under 0.8 ha, 10 under 2.0 ha, unlimited at 2.0 ha or more. Flight-path setbacks and a water supply are required.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","section":"ss. 12.1, 12.2, 12.3","quotes":["The parcel of land is equal to or greater than 370 m2.","any beehive is located in the rear yard of the property","Two (2) beehives/colonies and two (2) nucleus colonies on any parcel of land that is less than 929 m2.","Provide a water supply to prevent the bees from seeking water from other"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"other_livestock":{"label":"Other livestock","value":"Farm animals (horses, goats, sheep, cattle and others) only on parcels of at least one acre (0.4047 ha), no more than two per acre, and not in commercial or industrial zones. Swine need 8 ha or A-1 zoning (Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs may be kept as pets with certification). Ducks, geese and other poultry are not allowed on residential lots under one acre; only hens are.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","section":"ss. 3.1-3.4A, 9.1.5","quotes":["unless the said parcel has an area of not less than 0.4047 ha (one acre)","No person shall keep or harbour more than two farm animals per 0.4047 ha (one acre) on any parcel of land within the City.","No person shall keep or harbour swine on any parcel of land in the City unless such lands are a minimum size of 8 ha. (19.768 acres) or are zoned A 1.","except the permitted number of hens identified in Table 9.1.1, on any residential-zoned parcel under 4,000 m2"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11, 1981 (hens, bees, farm animals); beehive and coop siting also depends on the Zoning Bylaw No. 55 yard setbacks","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","section":"s. 23","quotes":["This bylaw may be cited for all purposes as \"City of Kamloops Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11, 1981.\""]},{"url":"https://www.kamloops.ca/our-community/community-initiatives/food-urban-agriculture/urban-hens","title":"Urban Hens, City of Kamloops","section":"page","quotes":["See Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 for specific details."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":8,"stated":8,"matched":8,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe City of Kamloops allows hens under [Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11](https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206). The lot must be residential with a single-family or two-family use and be 370 m2 up to 4,000 m2 (1 acre). You must live on the property as your principal residence. On a two-family lot you also need a fully fenced rear yard with your part fenced off. Parcels under 370 m2 may not have poultry.\n\n## Steps for hens\n\n1. Build a coop in the rear yard only: at least 0.5 m2 indoors and 1 m2 of covered outdoor run per hen, a nesting box and roost for each hen, no more than 10 m2 and 2 m high in total. Keep it at least 1 m from side and rear lot lines and 3 m from any door or window of a dwelling.\n2. Fence the rear yard 1.2 m to 2 m high.\n3. Register for free using the online form. An officer inspects the coop within two weeks.\n4. Keep 2 to 5 hens. Keep them inside the indoor part of the coop from dusk to dawn.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- No roosters, and no chicks (chickens under three months old).\n- Registration does not mean the City says hens are allowed on that property.\n- Feed must be in an airtight, wildlife-resistant container, and no more than 180 L of manure may be stored.\n- The City's page also says no slaughter on site, no selling eggs, meat or manure, and dead hens go to the landfill, not curbside carts.\n- Bees: allowed in zones A-1, FD, CR-1 to CR-3, RS-1 to RS-5 and RT-1 to RT-3 on parcels of at least 370 m2, in the rear yard, with a water supply. Limit: 2 hives on parcels under 929 m2, 4 under 1,858 m2.\n- Farm animals (horses, goats, sheep, cattle) only on parcels of at least one acre, no more than two per acre. Pigs need 8 ha or A-1 zoning. Ducks, geese and other poultry are not allowed on residential lots under one acre.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.kamloops.ca/our-community/community-initiatives/food-urban-agriculture/urban-hens","title":"Urban Hens, City of Kamloops","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://kamloops.civicweb.net/document/8206","title":"Animal Control Bylaw No. 34-11 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 8 of 8 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/backyard-chickens/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/backyard-chickens.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/backyard-chickens.json"}}