--- title: Metchosin backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Metchosin?" place: Metchosin, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/metchosin category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: District of Metchosin sources_read: 2026-11-06 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/backyard-chickens/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/backyard-chickens.json" --- # Metchosin backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules **Question:** Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Metchosin? **Short answer:** In Metchosin, poultry counts as livestock under the Land Use Bylaw. In the AR1, RR1, RR2 and RR3 zones you may keep 24 rabbits, game birds or poultry for each 4,000 m² of lot, pro-rated for a smaller lot. The bylaw does not name hens or roosters. Check your lot's zone. **Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Metchosin, https://www.metchosin.ca) **Cost:** Not stated. No permit or registration for poultry was found. **How long:** Not applicable. **Where:** - Phone: Municipal Hall, 250-474-3167 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) - Email: Building Permits and Inspections, building@metchosin.ca ## Key facts - **Hens allowed:** The Land Use Bylaw does not name hens; "livestock" includes poultry. Keeping livestock is an accessory use in the AR1, RR1, RR2 and RR3 zones. Agriculture is permitted in the AG, AG1, UP, UP1, UP2, RU and RR4 zones too, where the livestock caps apply to lots under 8,000 m² (RR4 has its own cap). Check your lot's zone. - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (reference copy), definitions; ss. 56.1(2), 57(2)](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) - Official wording: "Livestock means horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, rabbits, game birds and poultry." … "The keeping of livestock, subject to Subsection (5)" … "The keeping of livestock and bees, subject to Subsection (5)" … "(b) Agriculture, subject to Subsection (5)" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Most hens:** 24 rabbits, game birds or poultry for each 4,000 m² (0.99 acre) of lot area, pro-rated for a smaller lot (AR1, RR1-RR3 zones). - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (reference copy), ss. 56.1(5), 57(5)](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) - Official wording: "For each 4,000 m2 (.99 ac) of lot area or pro-rated portion thereof if less than 4,000 m2 (.99 ac) of lot area, the" … "in addition to Paragraph (a) above, 24 rabbits, game birds or poultry." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Roosters:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. - **Coop rules:** Buildings and structures for keeping livestock must be at least 30 m from the front lot line and at least 15 m from any other lot line. - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (reference copy), ss. 56.1(6)(d), 57(6)(d)](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) - Official wording: "for a breeding kennel use or for the keeping of livestock shall be located not less than 30" … "(98.4') from the front lot line and not less than 15 m (49.2') from any other lot line." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Permit or registration:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. - **Bees:** Allowed in the RR1, RR2, RR3 and RR4 zones: 15 beehives per 4,000 m² of lot area (pro-rated), with a maximum of 4 on a lot under 4,000 m². The AR1 zone permits livestock but not bees. Bees also count as "agriculture", which the agricultural and rural zones permit. - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (reference copy), s. 57(5)(c)-(d)](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) - Official wording: "in addition to Paragraphs (a) and (b) above, 15 beehives per 4,000 m 2 (0.99 acre) of lot area or pro-rated" … "where a lot is less than 4,000 m 2 (0.99 acres) in area, a maximum of 4" … "poultry, bees, and horticultural products which may be conducted as a commercial enterprise; the storage and" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Other livestock:** In AR1 and RR1-RR3: per 4,000 m² of lot area (pro-rated), 2 horses or cattle, or 8 pigs, sheep or goats, or a combination where 1 horse or cattle equals 4 of the others. - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (reference copy), s. 56.1(5)](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) - Official wording: "(i) 2 horses or cattle, or" … "8 pigs, sheep or goats, or" … "any combination of the above with 1 animal from Subparagraph (i) being the equivalent of 4" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 - **Bylaw:** District of Metchosin Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (consolidated March 2026, a reference copy) - Source: [Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (reference copy), title page](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) - Official wording: "A Bylaw to Regulate Land Use, Parking, Screening, and Signage" … "BYLAW NO. 259" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 ## How it works The [Land Use Bylaw No. 259](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) does not name hens. It treats poultry as "livestock", and keeping livestock is an accessory use in the AR1, RR1, RR2 and RR3 zones. Agriculture is also permitted in the AG, AG1, UP, UP1, UP2, RU and RR4 zones, where the livestock limits apply to lots under 8,000 m² (RR4 has its own limit). Check your lot's zone. ## Good to know - Poultry limit (AR1, RR1 to RR3): 24 rabbits, game birds or poultry in total for each 4,000 m² (0.99 acre) of lot, pro-rated for a smaller lot. - Coops and other buildings for livestock must be at least 30 m from the front lot line and at least 15 m from any other lot line. No separate coop size rule was found. - No rule on roosters was found. The Noise Bylaw still bans noise that disturbs neighbours. - No permit, licence or registration for poultry was found. - Bees: allowed in the RR1, RR2, RR3 and RR4 zones, at 15 beehives per 4,000 m² of lot (pro-rated), with a maximum of 4 on a lot under 4,000 m². The AR1 zone allows livestock but not bees. - Other livestock (AR1, RR1 to RR3): per 4,000 m² of lot, 2 horses or cattle, or 8 pigs, sheep or goats, or a combination where 1 horse or cattle equals 4 of the others. Ducks are not named. ## Official forms and pages - [Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (reference copy)](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) ## Related questions - [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Metchosin](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/how-many-pets.md) - [Metchosin zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/zoning-lookup.md) - [Metchosin noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/noise-rules.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md) - [Colwood](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/backyard-chickens.md) - [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/backyard-chickens.md) - [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/backyard-chickens.md) - [Sooke](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/backyard-chickens.md) - [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/backyard-chickens.md) - [Victoria](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/backyard-chickens.md) ## Sources - [Land Use Bylaw No. 259 (reference copy), District of Metchosin](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/4091/) (read 2026-11-06) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 2 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with District of Metchosin. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/backyard-chickens/_