---
title: Sidney backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules
question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?"
place: Sidney, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/sidney
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Town of Sidney
sources_read: 2026-11-06
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/backyard-chickens/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/backyard-chickens.json"
---

# Sidney backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**Short answer:** In Sidney you can keep up to five hens with a Town Hen-Keeping Permit (), on a single-family property of at least 550 m². Roosters, other poultry, rabbits and farm animals are not allowed. Bees are allowed only on parcels over 750 m², up to two hives.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Town of Sidney, https://www.sidney.ca)  
**Cost:** Hen-Keeping Permit $100. A new permit is needed if the enclosure is newly built or its siting or size changes.  
**How long:** not stated  
**Where:**
- Phone: Town of Sidney Bylaw Enforcement, 250-544-4743
- In person: Town Hall, 2440 Sidney Avenue, Sidney, BC V8L 1Y7

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** Yes, with a Hen-Keeping Permit from the Town. Only on a property where a Single-Family Dwelling is the primary use, and not on a parcel under 550 m². The hen keeper must live on the parcel or have the owner's written permission.
  - Source: [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010, s. 5.3(a), (d), (e), (f)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "A resident must first apply for and obtain a Hen-Keeping Permit from the Town of Sidney" … "Hens are permitted only on properties where a Single-Family Dwelling, as defined in the" … "Hens may not be kept on any parcel of land having an area less than 550 square metres." … "must reside on the parcel where the hens are to be kept or the occupant must have written permission from the property owner"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Most hens:** Five hens per property.
  - Source: [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010, s. 5.3(c)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "A maximum of five (5) Hens are permitted to be kept on a property"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Roosters:** Not allowed. The bylaw's definition of a hen excludes roosters, and no poultry other than hens may be kept on any parcel.
  - Source: [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010, ss. 2.0 (Hen), 5.0(b)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Hen - means a domesticated female chicken that is at least four (4) months old. Does not include roosters." … "No person shall keep or harbour any farm animals, poultry, or rabbit on any parcel of land, excluding Hens."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coop rules:** A Hen Enclosure (coop plus covered run) must be in the rear yard, at least 3 m from side and rear lot lines and 4.5 m from any door or window of a residence, no higher than 2.4 m, with 0.37 m² of coop floor and 0.92 m² of run per hen, and no larger than 9.2 m² in total.
  - Source: [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010, s. 5.3(g)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Is located at least 3 metres from side lot lines." … "Is located at least 4.5 metres from any door or window of a residential building." … "Is located in the rear yard of the parcel, as defined by the Zoning Bylaw." … "Is not more than 2.4 metres in height." … "Occupies an area of land not exceeding 9.2 square metres (99 square feet)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permit or registration:** Yes. A Hen-Keeping Permit from the Town is needed before getting hens; the fee is $100. A new permit is needed if the enclosure is newly built or its siting or size changes.
  - Source: [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010, s. 5.3(a), (b); Schedule A](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "A new Hen-Keeping Permit shall be required in the event of the construction of a new Hen" … "Hen-Keeping Permit Fee" … "1. Hen-Keeping Permit ……………………………………………………………………… $100.00"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bees:** Not allowed on parcels under 750 m². On parcels over 750 m², no more than two beehives. The bylaw does not address a parcel of exactly 750 m².
  - Source: [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010, s. 5.1](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "No person shall keep or harbour Bees on any parcel of land under 750 square metres" … "No person shall keep or harbour Bees in excess of two (2) beehives on any parcel of land over 750 square metres."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other livestock:** Not allowed. No farm animals (cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, mules, donkeys), poultry (including ducks and geese) or rabbits on any parcel; hens are the only exception.
  - Source: [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010, ss. 2.0 (Farm Animal, Poultry), 5.0(b)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Farm Animal - means an animal that is generally raised on a farm and without limiting the generality" … "Poultry - means all such birds or fowl and without limiting the generality of the foregoing includes:" … "chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, quail, hens, and pheasant." … "No person shall keep or harbour any farm animals, poultry, or rabbit on any parcel of land, excluding Hens."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010
  - Source: [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010, s. 1.0](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)
  - Official wording: "Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf) allows hens only. You need a Hen-Keeping Permit from the Town before getting them. No farm animals (cattle, horses, swine, sheep, goats, mules, donkeys), poultry (including ducks and geese) or rabbits may be kept on any parcel.

## Good to know

- Hens: up to five per property, only where a single-family dwelling is the primary use and the parcel is at least 550 m². The keeper must live on the parcel or have the owner's written permission.
- Roosters: not allowed. The bylaw's definition of a hen excludes roosters, and it has no section naming roosters.
- Coop: the hen enclosure (coop plus covered run) goes in the rear yard, at least 3 m from side and rear lot lines and 4.5 m from any door or window of a residence, no higher than 2.4 m. Allow 0.37 m² of coop floor and 0.92 m² of run per hen, and no more than 9.2 m² in total.
- Hens are for personal use only: no selling eggs, manure or meat. No slaughtering or burying hens on the parcel. Keep manure and feed in pest-proof containers.
- Bees: not allowed on parcels under 750 m². On parcels over 750 m², no more than two hives. The bylaw does not address a parcel of exactly 750 m².
- Ticket for farm animals, poultry or rabbits: a bylaw notice is $130 ($100 if paid within 14 days; $160 after 28 days); a municipal ticket is $130 ($100 if paid within 30 days). No ticket amount for hen-keeping offences was found; the general court fine goes up to $2,000.

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965 (PDF)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Sidney](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/how-many-pets.md)
- [Sidney dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/dog-licence.md)
- [Sidney noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/noise-rules.md)
- [Sidney bylaw fines and how tickets work](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/bylaw-fines.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [North Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/north-saanich/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Central Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/central-saanich/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Saanich](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/backyard-chickens.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Licence and Control Bylaw No. 1965, 2010 (PDF)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/1965-Animal-Control.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 2239 (PDF)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2239-Bylaw-Notice-Enforcement-CON.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 2180 (PDF)](https://www.sidney.ca/wp-content/uploads/2180-MTI-consolidated.pdf) (read 2026-11-06)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 8 of 8 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Town of Sidney. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sidney/backyard-chickens/_