---
title: Valemount backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules
question: "Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Valemount?"
place: Valemount, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/valemount
category: Pets, animals and wildlife
owner: municipal
owner_body: Village of Valemount
sources_read: 2026-11-08
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/backyard-chickens/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/backyard-chickens.json"
---

# Valemount backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

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

**Short answer:** In Valemount, backyard hens and roosters are not allowed: the Animal Bylaw lists them as prohibited animals. Horses, goats, sheep, cows and similar animals are also banned unless the Zoning Bylaw allows them. The Village's bylaws say nothing about bees.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (Village of Valemount, https://valemount.ca)  
**Cost:** No permit or registration exists for hens. Fine for keeping bovine species: $300 bylaw notice ($240 if paid within 14 days, $360 if paid late).  
**How long:** Not applicable.  
**Where:**
- In person: Village Office, 735 Cranberry Lake Road, Valemount, BC V0E 2Z0 (Monday to Friday, 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., closed statutory holidays)
- Phone: Village Office (Bylaw Enforcement and Animal Control), 250.566.4435
- Email: Bylaw Enforcement, bylaw@valemount.ca

## Key facts

- **Hens allowed:** No general right to keep hens. The Animal Bylaw lists hens (with quail, pheasant, pigeon, duck, goose, turkey and rooster) as prohibited animals that no one may keep, except where another Village bylaw permits. The Zoning Bylaw allows agriculture only in the ENV zone and in RR1 on lots west of Highway 5.
  - Source: [Animal Bylaw No. 700, 2013, Schedule 8, item 21; s. 11.1](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/88487/)
  - Official wording: "All birds, domestic quail, pheasant, hen, pigeon, duck, goose turkey and rooster, except the budgie, cockatiel, lovebird, finch, and canary and other birds where in the Village of Valemount bylaw it is permissible." … "Either on a temporary basis or permanent basis, any prohibited animal listed in Schedule B of this Bylaw."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 847, 2021, s. 5.2 and 5.3 (permitted uses)](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/98099/)
  - Official wording: "Agriculture, permitted on lots lying west of Highway No. 5" … "Within the ENV - Environmental Zone, the following uses only shall be permitted:"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Most hens:** None set. Valemount prohibits hens, so no hen limit, coop rules or registration are stated.
- **Roosters:** Not allowed: roosters are on the Animal Bylaw list of prohibited animals.
  - Source: [Animal Bylaw No. 700, 2013, Schedule 8, item 21; s. 11.1](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/88487/)
  - Official wording: "All birds, domestic quail, pheasant, hen, pigeon, duck, goose turkey and rooster, except the budgie, cockatiel, lovebird, finch, and canary and other birds where in the Village of Valemount bylaw it is permissible." … "Either on a temporary basis or permanent basis, any prohibited animal listed in Schedule B of this Bylaw."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Coop rules:** None set. Valemount prohibits hens, so no hen limit, coop rules or registration are stated.
- **Permit or registration:** None set. Valemount prohibits hens, so no hen limit, coop rules or registration are stated.
- **Bees:** None set. Valemount's Animal, Zoning and Good Neighbour bylaws have no beekeeping rules.
- **Other livestock:** Bovine species (horse, donkey, swine, mule, llama, emu, ostrich, ass, sheep, goat, cow) may not be housed, pastured or kept in the Village unless the Zoning Bylaw makes an exception. Zoning allows agriculture only in ENV and in RR1 west of Highway 5.
  - Source: [Animal Bylaw No. 700, 2013, s. 6.12 and Schedule A](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/88487/)
  - Official wording: "No person shall permit any bovine species to be housed, pastured or maintained on any land within the Village unless an exception is provided in the Village of Valemount Zoning Bylaw" … ""Bovine Species" means for the purpose of this bylaw a horse, donkey, swine, mule, llama, emu, ostrich, ass, sheep, goat, cow or other animal of the bovine species."
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 847, 2021, s. 5.3](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/98099/)
  - Official wording: "Agriculture, permitted on lots lying west of Highway No. 5"
  - Source: [Bylaw Notice Enforcement and Dispute Adjudication System Bylaw No. 698 (consolidated June 4, 2026), Schedule A, s. 6.12](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/96801/)
  - Official wording: "Bovine species 6.12 No $300.00 $240.00 $360.00 n/a"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
- **Bylaw:** Village of Valemount Animal Bylaw No. 700, 2013 (s. 6.12 and Schedule 8); Zoning Bylaw No. 847, 2021
  - Source: [Animal Bylaw No. 700, 2013, s. 1.1](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/88487/)
  - Official wording: "the "Village of Valemount Animal Bylaw No. 700, 2013.""
  - Source: [Zoning Bylaw No. 847, 2021, Notes](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/98099/)
  - Official wording: "Zoning Bylaw No. 847, 2021 was adopted by the Village of Valemount Council on August 24, 2021 and became effective on that date."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08

## How it works

The [Animal Bylaw No. 700](<https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/88487/>) lists hens, roosters, quail, pheasant, pigeon, duck, goose and turkey as prohibited animals that no one may keep in Valemount, except where another Village bylaw permits. No Village bylaw was found that expressly allows backyard hens. Section 11.2 lists limited exceptions, such as vets, certain facilities, Wildlife Act permits and special events with written permission.

## Good to know

- No limit, coop rules or registration for hens are stated, because hens are prohibited.
- Horses, donkeys, swine, mules, llamas, emus, ostriches, asses, sheep, goats and cows may not be housed, pastured or kept in the Village unless the [Zoning Bylaw No. 847](<https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/98099/>) allows it. The Zoning Bylaw allows agriculture only in the ENV zone and in RR1 on lots west of Highway 5.
- Horses may temporarily enter the Village for personal riding.
- Beekeeping: the Animal, Zoning and Good Neighbour bylaws have no beekeeping rules. Ask the Village Office, 250.566.4435, before keeping bees.
- Animals that normally live outdoors must have outdoor shelter.
- Keeping bovine species is a $300 bylaw notice ($240 if paid within 14 days, $360 if paid late).

## Official forms and pages

- [Animal Bylaw No. 700, 2013 (PDF), Village of Valemount](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/88487/)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 847, 2021 (PDF), Village of Valemount](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/98099/)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement and Dispute Adjudication System Bylaw No. 698 (consolidated June 4, 2026) (PDF), Village of Valemount](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/96801/)

## Related questions

- [How many dogs or cats you can keep in Valemount](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/how-many-pets.md)
- [Valemount dog licences: fees and how to get one](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/dog-licence.md)
- [Valemount unsightly property rules and how to report](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/unsightly-property.md)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Backyard chicken rules in British Columbia, by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Clearwater](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Wells](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/wells/backyard-chickens.md)
- [100 Mile House](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/100-mile-house/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Barriere](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Williams Lake](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/backyard-chickens.md)
- [Quesnel](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/quesnel/backyard-chickens.md)

## Sources

- [Animal Bylaw No. 700, 2013 (PDF), Village of Valemount](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/88487/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Zoning Bylaw No. 847, 2021 (PDF), Village of Valemount](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/98099/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Bylaw Notice Enforcement and Dispute Adjudication System Bylaw No. 698 (consolidated June 4, 2026) (PDF), Village of Valemount](https://valemount.civicweb.net/document/96801/) (read 2026-11-08)
- [Animal Control, Village of Valemount](https://valemount.ca/village-office/bylaws/animal-control/) (read 2026-11-08)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 4 are recorded as not set. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with Village of Valemount. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/backyard-chickens/_