--- title: Silverton backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Silverton?" place: Silverton, British Columbia, Canada place_path: ca/bc/silverton category: Pets, animals and wildlife owner: municipal owner_body: Village of Silverton sources_read: 2026-11-08 review: machine_checked canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/backyard-chickens/" json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/backyard-chickens.json" --- # Silverton backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules **Question:** Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Silverton? **Short answer:** In Silverton you may keep up to 12 poultry (including ducks, geese, turkeys and pigeons) on a parcel with a single family detached dwelling, with a $10 yearly Poultry Licence. Roosters are banned. Cattle, horses, goats, sheep, swine, rabbits and fur-bearing animals are not allowed. The bylaws say nothing about bees. **Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Silverton, https://silverton.ca) **Cost:** Poultry Licence $10 a year. **How long:** A Poultry Licence is valid one year from issue. **Where:** - Phone: Village Office, 250-358-2472 ## Key facts - **Hens allowed:** Poultry (domestic fowl, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons) may be kept only on a parcel with a single family detached dwelling, at least 12 m frontage and at least 20 m depth, with a Poultry Licence. - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, ss. 3.5, 3.10; definition of Poultry](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) - Official wording: "a single family detached dwelling located upon it;" … "a minimum frontage of twelve (12) metres;" … "a minimum depth of twenty (20) metres." … "includes domestic fowl, ducks, geese, turkeys and pigeons" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Most hens:** 12 poultry on any parcel. - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, s. 3.4](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) - Official wording: "No person shall keep more than twelve (12) Poultry on any Parcel." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Roosters:** No. No person may keep a rooster. - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, s. 3.3](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) - Official wording: "No person shall keep a rooster." - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Coop rules:** Poultry must be kept in a coop unless grazing on fenced land or in a run. A coop must be 3 m from any side lot line, and 1 m from the rear lot line (3 m if the rear lot line is under 23 m from the adjacent dwelling or the neighbouring parcel is vacant). - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, ss. 3.6, 3.7](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) - Official wording: "All Poultry must be kept in a Poultry Coop unless grazing on fenced land or within a Poultry Run." … "one (1) metre away from the rear lot line of the Parcel upon which the Poultry Coop is located if the rear lot line is at least twenty-three (23) metres distant from the adjacent dwelling;" … "three (3) metres away from the rear lot line of the Parcel upon which the Poultry Coop is located if the rear lot line is less than twenty-three (23) metres distant from the adjacent dwelling or if the adjoining parcel is vacant;" … "three (3) metres away from any side lot line of the Parcel upon which the" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Permit or registration:** A Poultry Licence is required: $10 a year, valid one year from issue. - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, ss. 3.10, 3.11](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) - Official wording: "obtained a Poultry Licence and has paid in full the annual licence fee of ten dollar ($10.00)" … "valid for a period of one (1) year" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bees:** Not confirmed. Not found in the official sources that were read. - **Other livestock:** Farm animals (cattle, donkeys, goats, horses, mules, oxen, buffalo, sheep, deer, swine), fur-bearing animals and rabbits may not be kept in the Village. - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, s. 4.1; definitions](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) - Official wording: "No person shall keep Farm Animals, Fur Bearing Animals or rabbits within the Village." … "includes cattle, donkeys, goats, horses, mules, oxen, buffalo, sheep, fallow deer, reindeer and swine" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 - **Bylaw:** Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009 - Source: [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009, Title](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) - Official wording: "ANIMAL AND POULTRY REGULATION BYLAW NO. 460 - 2009" - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08 ## How it works The [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) lets you keep poultry (domestic fowl, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons) only on a parcel with a single family detached dwelling that has at least 12 m of frontage and at least 20 m of depth, and only with a Poultry Licence. The limit is 12 poultry on any parcel. ## Good to know - No person may keep a rooster. - Poultry must be kept in a coop unless grazing on fenced land or in a run. - A coop must be 3 m from any side lot line, and 1 m from the rear lot line (3 m if the rear lot line is under 23 m from the adjacent dwelling or the neighbouring parcel is vacant). The bylaw sets no coop size limit. - The Poultry Licence is $10 a year. It can be revoked for contravening the bylaw, with no refund and a one-year bar on reapplying. - Farm animals (cattle, donkeys, goats, horses, mules, oxen, buffalo, sheep, deer, swine), fur-bearing animals and rabbits may not be kept in the Village. - Bees: the bylaw and Zoning Bylaw do not mention them. Ask the Village Office at 250-358-2472. ## Official forms and pages - [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009 (PDF)](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) ## Related questions - [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Silverton](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/how-many-pets.md) ## The same question elsewhere - [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md) - [Kaslo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kaslo/backyard-chickens.md) - [Nakusp](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nakusp/backyard-chickens.md) - [Nelson](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/backyard-chickens.md) - [Castlegar](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/backyard-chickens.md) - [Salmo](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/salmo/backyard-chickens.md) - [Fruitvale](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/backyard-chickens.md) ## Sources - [Animal and Poultry Regulation Bylaw No. 460, 2009 (PDF), Village of Silverton](https://silverton.civicweb.net/document/22185/) (read 2026-11-08) - [Memorial Hall, Village of Silverton (Village Office phone)](https://silverton.ca/memorial-hall) (read 2026-11-08) _Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Silverton. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/silverton/backyard-chickens/_