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

# Rossland backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**Short answer:** In the City of Rossland, residential owners may keep up to 15 hens if the hen owner lives on the property and has the property owner's written permission. Roosters and other poultry are not allowed in residential areas. Bees and livestock are allowed only where zoning permits.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Rossland, https://rossland.ca)  
**Where:**
- Phone: City Hall (Bylaw Enforcement Officer), 250-362-7396
- Email: Planning and Development (zoning questions), development.services@rossland.ca

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** Yes, in residential areas hens (female chickens) may be kept if they meet the Animal Control Bylaw and the Zoning Bylaw. The hen owner must live at the property and have the property owner's written permission. Other poultry (roosters, turkeys, ducks, geese) are not allowed in residential areas unless Agricultural Use zoning permits.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 12.1-12.2](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764)
  - Official wording: "kept in accordance with this Bylaw and the City's Zoning Bylaw. The keeping of other poultry species," … "including roosters, turkeys, ducks, and geese, is prohibited in Residential Areas unless permitted under" … "Agricultural Use zoning." … "The owner of the Hens must reside at the property where the chickens are kept and obtain written" … "permission from the property owner."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Most hens:** No more than 15 hens per property.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 12.3](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764)
  - Official wording: "No more than fifteen (15) Hens may be kept at a property."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Roosters:** No, except on property zoned for Agricultural Use where the Zoning Bylaw lawfully permits roosters; even then they must not cause a nuisance.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 12.10](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764)
  - Official wording: "Roosters shall not be kept on any property unless that property is zoned for Agricultural Use and the" … "keeping of roosters is lawful under the City's Zoning Bylaw."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coop rules:** Coop must protect hens from wind, precipitation and predators, give at least 0.5 m² of floor per hen, one perch bar (or 25 cm of perch) per hen and one nesting box per two hens. A hen enclosure (run) of at least 0.9 m² per hen must be attached or alongside. Coop and run must meet the setbacks for accessory buildings and structures.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 12.8](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764)
  - Official wording: "Coop must protect chickens from wind, precipitation, and predators;" … "Coop must provide at least 0.5 square metres (5.38 square feet) of floor area per Hen;" … "providing an enclosed area of at least 0.9 square metres (9.69 square feet) per Hen" … "Coop and Hen Enclosure must comply with the required setbacks for accessory"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permit or registration:** None set. Rossland's bylaw states no permit or registration for hens and no fee.
- **Bees:** Beekeeping is not covered by a residential rule. The Zoning Bylaw counts bees as 'Agricultural Use', which is a permitted use only in the Rural Residential (RR) zone and in the CD-3 RHP zone.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026, Definitions](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924)
  - Official wording: "AGRICULTURAL USE means a use providing for the growing, rearing, cultivating," … "poultry, pigeons, doves, bees, rabbits and other animals and birds."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026, s. 8.1 RR zone, permitted uses](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924)
  - Official wording: "TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 8: RESIDENTIAL 8.1 RR: RURAL RESIDENTIAL 1. INTENT The intent of this Zone is to allow for Single Detached and Duplex Dwellings, Agricultural" … "b) Duplex Dwelling c) Secondary Suite d) Accessory Dwelling Unit e) Agricultural Use f) Agriculture Stand g) Kennel h) Residential Short-Term Rental"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other livestock:** Livestock (cattle, horses, swine, goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas and the like) may be kept only where the Zoning Bylaw permits; the Zoning Bylaw prevails in a conflict. Livestock may not cause a nuisance (noise, odour, wildlife, manure). Ducks, geese and turkeys are not allowed in residential areas.
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 11.1 and 11.4](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764)
  - Official wording: "No person shall keep Livestock in any area of the City unless permitted under the Zoning Bylaw." … "the Zoning Bylaw shall prevail."
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, s. 3 "Livestock"](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764)
  - Official wording: "swine, goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas, and farmed fur-bearing animals."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025 (Part 12, Regulations for the Keeping of Chickens) and Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026
  - Source: [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025, Citation](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764)
  - Official wording: "This Bylaw may be cited as the "Animal Control Bylaw" No. 2862, 2025"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026, Title](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 2864"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

In the City of Rossland, Part 12 of the [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) lets residents keep hens (female chickens) in residential areas if they meet that bylaw and the [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924). The hen owner must live at the property and have the property owner's written permission. You can keep no more than 15 hens per property. The bylaw states no permit or registration for hens and no fee.

## Good to know

- Coop: it must protect hens from wind, precipitation and predators, with at least 0.5 m² of floor per hen, one perch bar (or 25 cm of perch) per hen and one nesting box per two hens. A run of at least 0.9 m² per hen must be attached or alongside. The coop and run must meet the setbacks for accessory buildings; those distances are in the Zoning Bylaw.
- Chicken food must be stored so it does not attract wildlife. Slaughtering and burying chickens on the property are banned.
- On a complaint, the City may order a coop removed or retrofitted.
- Roosters are not allowed, except on property zoned for Agricultural Use where the Zoning Bylaw lawfully permits them, and even then they must not cause a nuisance.
- Turkeys, ducks, geese and other poultry are not allowed in residential areas unless Agricultural Use zoning permits.
- Bees: the Zoning Bylaw counts bees as Agricultural Use, which is permitted only in the Rural Residential (RR) zone and the CD-3 RHP sub-zone. It has no separate beekeeping rule. Check with Planning before keeping bees.
- Livestock (cattle, horses, swine, goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas and the like) may be kept only where the Zoning Bylaw permits, and it must not cause a nuisance (noise, odour, wildlife, manure). If the two bylaws conflict, the Zoning Bylaw wins.
- The hen section says hens are allowed under the Zoning Bylaw, but the Zoning Bylaw has no hen-specific rule. Ask Planning and Development at development.services@rossland.ca if you are unsure.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025 (PDF)](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026 (PDF)](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Rossland](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/how-many-pets.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Warfield](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Trail](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Grand Forks](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/grand-forks/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Control Bylaw No. 2862, 2025 (PDF), City of Rossland](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/51764) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 2864, 2026 (PDF), City of Rossland](https://rossland.civicweb.net/document/55924) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Official Community Plan, City of Rossland (Planning contact)](https://rossland.ca/planning/ocp/) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 1 is recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Rossland. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/backyard-chickens/_