--- title: Port Edward backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?" place: Port Edward, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/port-edward category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: District of Port Edward sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/backyard-chickens/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/backyard-chickens.json" --- # Port Edward backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules **Question:** Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock? **Short answer:** In Port Edward, the District's page says residents may keep chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigeons and honeybees, but roosters are not allowed. Zoning permits Agriculture only in the A1 and A2 zones, so check before keeping hens on a residential lot. **Who handles it:** Municipal (District of Port Edward, https://www.portedward.ca) **Cost:** No permit, licence or fee for hens is mentioned in the bylaw or on the Animal Control page. **How long:** Not applicable. **Where:** - Phone: District of Port Edward office (Municipal Hall, 770 Pacific Ave), 250-628-3667 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding public holidays) ## Key facts - **Hens allowed:** The District's page says residents may keep chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigeons and honeybees. Zoning Bylaw 713 permits Agriculture only in the A1 and A2 zones; R1 lists only single-family dwelling and its accessory uses. Check with the District before keeping hens on a residential lot. - Source: [Animal Control, Other Animals](https://www.portedward.ca/services/animal-control) - Official wording: "Residents of Port Edward are permitted to keep certain small animals such as chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigeons, and honeybees." - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 713, 2020, consolidated, Definitions](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_business_development/713_Zoning_Consolidated_Bylaw_2023-2.pdf) - Official wording: "food production, and keeping of poultry, livestock and horses." … "Means a Use providing for the growing, producing, keeping or" … "In the A2 Zone, the following Principal Uses are permitted and all others" … "In the R1 Zone, the following Principal Uses are permitted and all others" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Most hens:** None set. Port Edward's files state no limit on the number of hens. - **Roosters:** No. Roosters are not permitted anywhere in Port Edward. - Source: [Animal Control, Roosters](https://www.portedward.ca/services/animal-control) - Official wording: "Roosters are not permitted anywhere in Port Edward." - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011, s. 1 (Livestock Small)](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_other/519Animalcontrol.pdf) - Official wording: "chicken (except for roosters)" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Coop rules:** Poultry must be housed in secure coops or enclosures and not allowed to roam onto neighbouring properties or public spaces. - Source: [Animal Control, General Poultry Rules](https://www.portedward.ca/services/animal-control) - Official wording: "Poultry must be housed in secure coops or enclosures." … "Animals should not be allowed to roam freely onto neighbouring properties or public spaces." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Permit or registration:** None set. Port Edward's files state no permit or registration for hens. - **Bees:** Honeybees are listed among the small animals residents may keep. No limits are stated. - Source: [Animal Control, Other Animals](https://www.portedward.ca/services/animal-control) - Official wording: "chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigeons, and honeybees" - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011, s. 1 (Livestock Small)](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_other/519Animalcontrol.pdf) - Official wording: "Livestock Animals (Small) - means such animals as: Domestic fowls, pigeons, chicken (except for roosters), rabbits, ducks, geese, honey bees, and other game birds Municipality - means the District of Port Edward." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Other livestock:** Ducks, geese, rabbits and pigeons are listed with chickens as small animals residents may keep. Large livestock (cattle, goats, pigs, sheep, donkeys, horses) are defined in the bylaw but no residential-lot rule was found. - Source: [Animal Control, Other Animals](https://www.portedward.ca/services/animal-control) - Official wording: "ducks, geese, rabbits, pigeons" - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011, s. 1 (Livestock Animals (Large))](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_other/519Animalcontrol.pdf) - Official wording: "dairy and beef cattle, bulls, goats, pigs including potbellied breeds, sheep, donkeys and mules" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** District of Port Edward Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011; Zoning Bylaw No. 713, 2020 - Source: [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011, s. 39](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_other/519Animalcontrol.pdf) - Official wording: "Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011" - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 713, 2020, consolidated, Title](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_business_development/713_Zoning_Consolidated_Bylaw_2023-2.pdf) - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 713, 2020" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works The District's [Animal Control page]() says residents may keep chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, pigeons and honeybees. Section 13 of the [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011]() says no person may keep any animal except in accordance with the bylaw. ## Good to know - Zoning is the catch. The [Zoning Bylaw No. 713, 2020]() permits Agriculture only in the A1 and A2 zones, and R1 lists only a single-family dwelling and its accessory uses. "Hobby Farm" appears against A1 only. Whether hens are allowed on a residential lot is not stated in the files read, so check with the District (250-628-3667) before buying hens. - Roosters are not permitted anywhere in Port Edward. - Poultry must be kept in secure coops or enclosures and not allowed to roam onto neighbouring properties or public spaces. - No limit on the number of hens, no coop size or setback rule, and no permit or registration is stated. - Honeybees are listed among the small animals residents may keep. No limits are stated. - Large livestock (cattle, goats, pigs, sheep, donkeys, horses) are defined in the bylaw, but no residential-lot rule was found. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal Control, District of Port Edward](https://www.portedward.ca/services/animal-control) - [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011 (PDF)](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_other/519Animalcontrol.pdf) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 713, 2020, consolidated (PDF)](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_business_development/713_Zoning_Consolidated_Bylaw_2023-2.pdf) ## Related questions - [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Port Edward](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/how-many-pets.md) - [Port Edward noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/noise-rules.md) - [Port Edward zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/zoning-lookup.md) - [Port Edward dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/dog-licence.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md) - [Prince Rupert](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/backyard-chickens.md) - [Kitimat](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/backyard-chickens.md) - [Terrace](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/backyard-chickens.md) - [Port Clements](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-clements/backyard-chickens.md) - [Daajing Giids](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/daajing-giids/backyard-chickens.md) - [New Hazelton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/backyard-chickens.md) ## Sources - [Animal Control, District of Port Edward](https://www.portedward.ca/services/animal-control) (read 2026-11-08) - [Animal Control and Licensing Bylaw No. 519, 2011 (PDF)](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_other/519Animalcontrol.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Zoning Bylaw No. 713, 2020, consolidated (PDF)](https://www.portedward.ca/uploads/_bylaws_business_development/713_Zoning_Consolidated_Bylaw_2023-2.pdf) (read 2026-11-08) - [Resident Complaint Form, District of Port Edward](https://www.portedward.ca/web-forms/resident-complaint-form) (read 2026-11-08) _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 District of Port Edward. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/backyard-chickens/_