---
title: Kimberley backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules
question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?"
place: Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/kimberley
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Kimberley
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/backyard-chickens/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/backyard-chickens.json"
---

# Kimberley backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**Short answer:** No chickens or rabbits in the City of Kimberley. The Animal Control Bylaw bans poultry and rabbits on any parcel and livestock in the City, with no zone exceptions. Bees are allowed only on land zoned Industrial. The Zoning Bylaw appears to allow horses in one zone, so ask the City.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Kimberley, https://www.kimberley.ca)  
**Cost:** Municipal ticket $75 first offence, $150 each later one, for each of these offences.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, 250-427-9663
- Email: Bylaw Enforcement Officer, bylaw@kimberley.ca

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** No. No parcel of land in the City may be used for keeping, harbouring or raising poultry or rabbits. The bylaw has no zone exceptions.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), s. 47, s. 4(t)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "No parcel of land within the City may be used for the keeping, harbouring or raising of poultry" … "Poultry means any bird or fowl normally raised for food or egg production;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Most hens:** None. Poultry may not be kept on any parcel.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), s. 47](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "No parcel of land within the City may be used for the keeping, harbouring or raising of poultry"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Roosters:** Not allowed. The ban covers all poultry, defined as any bird or fowl normally raised for food or egg production.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), s. 47, s. 4(t)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "Poultry means any bird or fowl normally raised for food or egg production;" … "No parcel of land within the City may be used for the keeping, harbouring or raising of poultry"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coop rules:** None set. There are no coop rules or registration because poultry is banned in the City.
- **Permit or registration:** None set. There are no coop rules or registration because poultry is banned in the City.
- **Bees:** Not allowed, except on land zoned Industrial in the Zoning Bylaw. No other limits are stated.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), s. 48](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "With exception of lands zoned as" … "no parcel of land within the City may be used for the keeping, harbouring or raising of bees."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other livestock:** Animal Control Bylaw s. 46 bans livestock (horses, swine, sheep, llama, goat, mule, donkey, cattle) and s. 47 bans poultry, including ducks. But the Zoning Bylaw permits equestrian facilities in the CD-6 zone, with horse pasture on at least 3 acres. The two bylaws conflict for horses; ask the City. (Sources differ: Zoning Bylaw No. 1850 (Jan. 14, 2026 consolidation) sets a minimum 3 acres for parcels used for equestrian facilities or horse pasture in one zone, which sits oddly with the Animal Control Bylaw ban; the Animal Control Bylaw text was followed.)
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), s. 46, s. 4(p)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "Livestock shall not be permitted to be kept, harboured or raised within the City." … "Livestock means an animal raised as part of a farm operation and includes horses, swine,"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1850, s. 7.25 (CD-6)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/133474)
  - Official wording: "each parcel used for equestrian facilities or pasture for horses shall be a minimum of 12,141 m² (3 acres) in size"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** City of Kimberley Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016 (ss. 46 to 48); fines under Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2540, 2016
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016, City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017), s. 1](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)
  - Official wording: "City of Kimberley Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016"
  - Source: [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2540, 2016, Schedule 2](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/37089)
  - Official wording: "Keeping of livestock 46 75 150" … "Keeping of poultry or rabbits 47 75 150" … "Keeping of bees 48 75 150"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016](<https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220>) restricts farm animals in the City of Kimberley:

- **Livestock** (horses, swine, sheep, llamas, goats, mules, donkeys and cattle) may not be kept, harboured or raised in the City (s. 46).
- **Poultry and rabbits:** no parcel of land may be used for keeping, harbouring or raising them (s. 47). Poultry means any bird or fowl normally raised for food or egg production, so chickens, roosters and ducks are all banned. The bylaw has no zone exceptions, and offers no permit or registration.
- **Bees** are not allowed, except on land zoned Industrial in the Zoning Bylaw (s. 48). No other limits are stated.

## Good to know

- A municipal ticket for each of these offences is $75 for a first offence and $150 for each later one.
- The City's [Zoning Bylaw No. 1850](<https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/133474>) permits equestrian facilities in the CD-6 zone, with horse pasture on at least 3 acres. That sits oddly with the livestock ban in the Animal Control Bylaw. The other official source says otherwise, so confirm with the City before keeping horses.
- Complaints about a neighbour's animals go to the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-427-9663 or bylaw@kimberley.ca. Except for urgent risks, they must be in writing with your name, address and phone number.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016 (PDF)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Kimberley](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/how-many-pets.md)
- [Kimberley dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/dog-licence.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Cranbrook](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/cranbrook/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Canal Flats](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/canal-flats/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Fernie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fernie/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Creston](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/creston/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Kaslo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kaslo/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Sparwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sparwood/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2544, 2016 (PDF), City of Kimberley (consolidated for convenience, March 10, 2017)](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/41220) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2540, 2016 (PDF), City of Kimberley](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/37089) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1850 (PDF), City of Kimberley](https://kimberley.civicweb.net/document/133474) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Enforcement, City of Kimberley](https://www.kimberley.ca/services/bylaw-enforcement) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 2 are recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Kimberley. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kimberley/backyard-chickens/_