Salmon Arm backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?

Salmon Arm, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

Yes. In the City of Salmon Arm you may keep 6 to 48 poultry and rabbits combined, depending on lot size, if the yard is fenced or the birds are penned; roosters are not allowed. Bees need a lot of 0.4 hectare (1 acre) or more. Other livestock is mostly limited to farm land.

Key facts

Hens allowed	Yes. Poultry (chickens, ducks and other domestic birds) may be kept in zones where residential use is permitted, if the house has direct access to an outdoor yard space. The property must be fenced or enclosed so birds cannot get out, unless they are in a pen or enclosure.Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 4(d); Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, Poultry · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording In all zones in the Zoning Bylaw where residential uses are permitted, and where the house has direct access to an outdoor yard space, the keeping of poultry or rabbits The property shall be fenced or enclosed in a manner that prevents the poultry or rabbits from leaving the property and being at large, if the animals are not contained in a pen or enclosure; Poultry means any domestic bird, including chickens, roosters, turkeys, geese, ducks, pigeons, or game birds. Where your home has direct access to an outdoor yard space, you can keep poultry (or rabbits) subject to the following:
Most hens	Poultry and rabbits combined: 6 on lots under 0.2 ha (0.5 acre), 10 on 0.2 ha to under 0.4 ha, 24 on 0.4 ha to under 0.8 ha, 48 on 0.8 ha or more.Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 4(d)(ii)-(v) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Where the lot or property is less than 0.2 ha (0.5 acre) in area, six (6) rabbits or poultry are permitted; not more than ten (10) rabbits or poultry, or a combination thereof not more than twenty four (24) rabbits or poultry, or a combination thereof not more than forty eight (48) rabbits or poultry, or a combination thereof
Roosters	No. Roosters are not permitted.Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 4(d)(vi); Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, Poultry · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Roosters are not permitted as part of any of the numbers outlined in Item (d) Roosters are not permitted at all
Coop rules	Pens, enclosures and structures for animals must be at least 3.0 m (10 feet) from any property boundary, 6.0 m (20 feet) from any residential building on an adjacent property, and 15.0 m (50 feet) from any well, waterbody or watercourse. Manure storage must be 15 m from homes and 30 m from wells or watercourses.Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 4(h), 4(k) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording No less than 3.0m (10 feet) from any property boundary No less than 6.0m (20 feet) from any residential building located on an adjacent property No less than 15.0m (50 feet) from any well, waterbody or watercourse a minimum of 15.0 metres (50 feet) from any building used for residential purposes a minimum of 30.0 metres (100 feet) from any well or watercourse
Permit or registration	No City permit, licence or fee is mentioned. The City says you must register your poultry, any number, with the Province (Premises ID).Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, Poultry · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording You must register your poultry (regardless of how many) with the Province.
Bees	Allowed on a property of 0.4 ha (1 acre) or more (residential lots need direct access to an outdoor yard space). Hives must be behind a solid fence, hedge or other enclosure and at least 6.0 m (20 feet) from any property line. The Province requires Premises ID registration for beekeepers.Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 4(l), 4(m), 4(n); Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, Beekeeping · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording shall be allowed whe the property is 0.4 ha (1 acre) or greater in size All beehives shall be located behind a solid fence, hedge or other enclosure to prevent access, and shall be located no less than 6.0m (20 feet) from any property line. shall take reasonable measures to ensure that beekeeping operations do not pose a safety risk to persons on adjacent public or private property. It is a Provincial requirement that anyone keeping bees in B.C. and the hive locations must be registered under the Premises ID Program
Other livestock	Livestock (cattle, horses, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas and similar) are not allowed except on Agricultural Land Reserve land or land assessed as a farm in zones where agriculture is permitted, or as the Zoning Bylaw allows. Ducks count as poultry. Rabbits must be kept in a secure enclosed structure. Pigeons: parcels of 0.4 ha or more, maximum 30.Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 4(a), 4(f), 4(p), 4(q), 2(cc) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording no person shall keep livestock on a property. No owner or occupier of property shall keep rabbits unless the rabbits are confined in a secure, enclosed structure. Livestock means any bull, cow, ox, heifer, steer or calf, horses, stud horses, goats, sheep, The maximum number of pigeons permitted on any property shall be thirty (30) birds.
Bylaw	City of Salmon Arm Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728, section 4 (animals and livestock); provincial Premises ID programAnimal Control Bylaw No. 4728, s. 16 Citation · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording City of Salmon Arm Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728

How it works

The Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 allows poultry (chickens, ducks and other domestic birds) in Salmon Arm zones where residential use is permitted, if the house has direct access to an outdoor yard space. The property must be fenced or enclosed so birds cannot get out, unless they are in a pen or enclosure. Poultry must not cause an unreasonable nuisance, noise or odour.

Steps

Check your lot size. Poultry and rabbits combined: 6 on lots under 0.2 ha (0.5 acre); 10 on 0.2 ha to under 0.4 ha; 24 on 0.4 ha to under 0.8 ha; 48 on 0.8 ha or more.
Keep pens, enclosures and animal structures at least 3.0 m (10 feet) from any property boundary, 6.0 m (20 feet) from any residential building on an adjacent property, and 15.0 m (50 feet) from any well, waterbody or watercourse.
Register your poultry, any number, and any bees, with the Province's Premises ID program.

Good to know

No roosters are allowed.
Rabbits count toward the combined limit once over 8 months old, and must be kept in a secure enclosed structure.
Bees: only on a property of 0.4 ha (1 acre) or more. Hives must be behind a solid fence, hedge or other enclosure and at least 6.0 m (20 feet) from any property line.
Pigeons: only on parcels of 0.4 ha or more, maximum 30.
Manure storage must be 15 m from homes and 30 m from wells or watercourses.
Livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, sheep, pigs and llamas are allowed only on Agricultural Land Reserve land or land assessed as a farm in zones where agriculture is permitted, or as the Zoning Bylaw allows. On that land, poultry and hive numbers are unlimited except as the Zoning Bylaw says.
The bylaw does not set a coop size.
Tickets are in Bylaw 2760.

What you'll need

Provincial Premises ID number for poultry, and for bees and hive locations

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 - Adopted, City of Salmon Arm (read 2026-11-05)
Animal Control Bylaw No. 4728 (PDF), City of Salmon Arm (read 2026-11-05)
Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 2760 (consolidated, PDF), Schedule 3 (read 2026-11-05)

Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 8 of 8 facts was matched to the official text. How answers are checked.