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

# Spallumcheen backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**Short answer:** In the Township of Spallumcheen, backyard hens are allowed in the R.1 zone: 6 hens on parcels under 0.5 acre, 12 on 0.5 acre or more, and no roosters. Livestock, poultry and bees on rural lots depend on the zone (Small Holding, Country Residential, A.2, Large Holding).

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Township of Spallumcheen, https://www.spallumcheentwp.bc.ca)  
**Cost:** Section 416 mentions no Township permit or fee.  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- Phone: Planning and Development, Township office, 250-546-3013 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** Yes in the R.1 zone under Zoning Bylaw s. 416. Elsewhere there is no hens clause: Small Holding allows poultry as restricted agricultural use (owner's personal use only); Country Residential allows poultry as limited agricultural use (6 animal units per hectare or less); A.2 and Large Holding allow intensive agricultural use.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, s. 416; s. 701.1(e)](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "Backyard Hens are permitted within the R1 Zone with the following conditions:" … "Backyard Hens subject to the provisions of Section 416 of this Bylaw" … "uses and no others shall be permitted in the Country Residential Zone (C.R.):" … "poultry, or other animals or birds of like kind in concentrations of six (6) animal units or less"
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, s. 801.1(f); definition of Agricultural Use, Restricted](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "Restricted agricultural use" … "rabbits, poultry, doves, bees, and other animals or" … "birds of like kind for the personal use of the owner only"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Most hens:** 6 hens on parcels under 2,023 m² (0.5 acre); 12 hens on parcels of 2,023 m² (0.5 acre) or more.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, s. 416(2)](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "six (6) hens may be kept on parcels less than 2,023 square metres (0.5" … "twelve (12) hens may be kept on parcels equal to or greater than 2,023"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Roosters:** No roosters are permitted.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, s. 416(1)](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "No roosters shall be permitted;"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Coop rules:** Coop floor space at least 1.5 m² (16 sq ft), in a fully fenced rear yard. R.1 accessory building rules apply: at least 8 m from the front or exterior side lot line, 1.5 m from rear and side lot lines, 3 m from other buildings, and no higher than 5 m. Minimize noise and odour.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, s. 416(3), (4)](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "has a minimum floor space of 1.5 square metres (16 square feet); and" … "is situated in a rear yard that is fully enclosed by a fence, wall or hedge;" … "adheres to the accessory building siting and height requirements of the" … "not allow fecal waste material to accumulate." … "8 metres (26.25 feet) from any front or exterior side lot line; and" … "1.5 metres (4.921 feet) from any rear or side lot line; and" … "3 metres (9.842 feet) from any other building or structure." … "be constructed with a maximum height of 5 metres (16.40 feet)."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Permit or registration:** A person who keeps hens must register for a BC Premise ID. Section 416 mentions no Township permit or fee.
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, s. 416(4)(a)](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "register for a BC Premise ID; and"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bees:** Not in R.1. Small Holding allows bees as restricted agricultural use (personal use only). Country Residential allows bees as limited agricultural use (6 animal units per hectare or less); A.2 and Large Holding allow intensive agricultural use. 250,000 bees equal one animal unit (Schedule E, outside the ALR).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, s. 701.1; s. 801.1(f); definitions](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "uses and no others shall be permitted in the Residential Single Family Zone" … "rabbits, poultry, doves, bees, and other animals or" … "birds of like kind for the personal use of the owner only" … "keeping of pigeons, doves, or other animals or birds of like kind and the keeping of bees," … "poultry, or other animals or birds of like kind in concentrations of six (6) animal units or less" … "250, 000 bees"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Other livestock:** Not permitted in R.1. Small Holding: restricted agricultural use allows horses, sheep, goats, cattle at 3 animal units or less per hectare. Country Residential: limited agricultural use allows horses, sheep, goats, cattle, rabbits and poultry at 6 animal units or less per hectare. Poultry and rabbits may not stray (Bylaw 838).
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, definition of Agricultural Use, Restricted](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "is also permitted in concentrations of three (3) animal units or less" … "per hectare (1.214 animal units per acre)" … "horses, sheep, goats, cattle, dairy cows, fur bearing animals (except mink and fox), rabbits," … "per hectare (2.428 animal units per acre). Swine are also permitted to be kept provided that" … "units or less per hectare (1.214 animal units per acre)."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, s. 701.1](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "uses and no others shall be permitted in the Residential Single Family Zone"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Township of Spallumcheen Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008, title page](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)
  - Official wording: "ZONING BYLAW NO. 1700, 2008"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

[Zoning Bylaw No. 1700](<https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/>) section 416 allows backyard hens in the R.1 zone. Other zones are covered by their own agricultural-use rules. Check your lot's zone first.

## Steps

1. Confirm your lot is zoned R.1 (ask the Township office at 250-546-3013).
2. Keep 6 hens if the parcel is under 2,023 m² (0.5 acre), or up to 12 if it is 2,023 m² or more. No roosters.
3. Build a coop with floor space of at least 1.5 m² (16 sq ft), in a fully fenced rear yard.
4. Register for a BC Premise ID.

## Good to know

- Coop location: at least 8 m from the front or exterior side lot line, 1.5 m from rear and side lot lines, 3 m from other buildings, and no higher than 5 m. Keep noise and odour down.
- Hens are not allowed in other residential zones listed in s. 416. Other livestock is not permitted in R.1.
- Small Holding: poultry, bees, and horses, sheep, goats and cattle (3 animal units or less per hectare) are allowed as restricted agricultural use, for the owner's personal use only.
- Country Residential: poultry, rabbits, bees, horses, sheep, goats and cattle are allowed as limited agricultural use, at 6 animal units or less per hectare. A.2 and Large Holding allow intensive agricultural use.
- 250,000 bees equal one animal unit on land outside the Agricultural Land Reserve (Schedule E).

## Official forms and pages

- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008 (PDF)](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Spallumcheen](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/spallumcheen/how-many-pets.md)
- [Spallumcheen zoning: find your zone and what it allows](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/spallumcheen/zoning-lookup.md)
- [Spallumcheen noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/spallumcheen/noise-rules.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Armstrong](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Enderby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/enderby/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Vernon](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Coldstream](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Lumby](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Lake Country](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-country/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Contact Us - Spallumcheen Township](https://www.spallumcheentwp.bc.ca/services/contact-us.htm) (read 2026-11-06)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 1700, 2008 (PDF), Township of Spallumcheen](https://spallumcheen.civicweb.net/document/34972/) (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 Township of Spallumcheen. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/spallumcheen/backyard-chickens/_