{"title":"Stewart backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","question":"Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock?","slug":"backyard-chickens","place":{"path":"ca/bc/stewart","name":"Stewart","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"pets-and-wildlife","name":"Pets, animals and wildlife"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"District of Stewart","url":"https://districtofstewart.com"},"short_answer":"Stewart has no backyard-hen rule. Its Zoning Bylaw defines agricultural use to include keeping poultry and other livestock, and permits it in the R2, RR and SG zones, but does not list it in the R1 zone. Bees are not mentioned.","aliases":["backyard chickens stewart bc","keep hens stewart","livestock stewart bc","bees stewart"],"cost":"Not stated.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"phone","label":"District of Stewart","value":"250-636-2251","note":"Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF)","url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/"}],"related":[{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Stewart zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/zoning-lookup/"},{"slug":"dog-licence","title":"Stewart dog licences: fees and how to get one","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/dog-licence/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/new-hazelton","name":"New Hazelton","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/new-hazelton/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/terrace","name":"Terrace","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/terrace/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/prince-rupert","name":"Prince Rupert","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/prince-rupert/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/port-edward","name":"Port Edward","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/port-edward/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/smithers","name":"Smithers","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/smithers/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/kitimat","name":"Kitimat","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kitimat/backyard-chickens/"}],"topic":{"title":"Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens/"},"facts":{"hens_allowed":{"label":"Hens allowed","value":"Not by a hen-specific rule. The Zoning Bylaw defines agricultural use to include keeping poultry. Agricultural use is permitted in the R2 (Rural Residential), RR and SG zones, and is not listed in the R1 zone.","short":"Not hen-specific; agricultural use in R2, RR, SG zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF), District of Stewart","section":"s. 1.0 Definitions","quotes":["sheep, poultry, pigeons, ducks, geese, and other livestock."]},{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF), District of Stewart","section":"s. 6.1 (R2 zone)","quotes":["The following uses and no others are permitted in the R2 zone:","Agricultural use;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"max_hens":{"label":"Most hens","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Stewart has no backyard-hen rule, so no limit, rooster, coop or registration rule.","sources":[]},"roosters":{"label":"Roosters","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Stewart has no backyard-hen rule, so no limit, rooster, coop or registration rule.","sources":[]},"coop_rules":{"label":"Coop rules","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Stewart has no backyard-hen rule, so no limit, rooster, coop or registration rule.","sources":[]},"registration":{"label":"Permit or registration","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Stewart has no backyard-hen rule, so no limit, rooster, coop or registration rule.","sources":[]},"bees":{"label":"Bees","value":null,"status":"unknown","reason":"not_found","sources":[]},"other_livestock":{"label":"Other livestock","value":"Agricultural use, defined to include horses, cattle, sheep, poultry, pigeons, ducks, geese and other livestock, is permitted in the R2, RR and SG zones.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF), District of Stewart","section":"s. 1.0 Definitions","quotes":["specifically includes a kennel and the keeping of horses, cattle,","sheep, poultry, pigeons, ducks, geese, and other livestock."]},{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF), District of Stewart","section":"s. 6.1 (R2 zone)","quotes":["17.1. The following uses and no others are permitted in the RR zone: .1 Agricultural use; .2 Logging;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.com/business-resources/developing-in-the-district/building-permits","title":"Building Permits, District of Stewart","section":"Building Permits page","quotes":["Zoning Bylaw 881, 2014"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":8,"stated":3,"matched":3,"none":4,"unknown":1},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nIn Stewart, no bylaw we could read sets rules specifically for backyard hens. The [Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014](https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/) defines \"agricultural use\" to include a kennel and the keeping of horses, cattle, sheep, poultry, pigeons, ducks, geese and other livestock.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Agricultural use is a permitted use in the R2 (Rural Residential), RR and SG zones. It is not listed in the R1 zone.\n- The R2 zone has a minimum parcel size of 1 ha.\n- No maximum number of hens, rules on roosters, coop rules or registration were found.\n- Bees (apiaries) are not mentioned in the Zoning Bylaw.\n- Check which zone your lot is in and ask the District at 250-636-2251 before buying birds.","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofstewart.civicweb.net/document/928/","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 881, 2014 (PDF), District of Stewart","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://districtofstewart.com/business-resources/developing-in-the-district/building-permits","title":"Building Permits, District of Stewart","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 3 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 4 are recorded as not set; 1 could not be confirmed."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/backyard-chickens/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/backyard-chickens.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/stewart/backyard-chickens.json"}}