{"title":"Wells backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules","question":"Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Wells?","slug":"backyard-chickens","place":{"path":"ca/bc/wells","name":"Wells","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 Wells","url":"https://www.wells.ca"},"short_answer":"The District of Wells Zoning Bylaw has no backyard hen rule. Poultry, beekeeping and livestock are allowed only as agricultural operations in the RR 1, RR 2 and R/A zones. The residential zones (R 1, R 1A, R 2, R 3, R 4) list no agricultural use.","aliases":["backyard chickens wells bc","keep hens wells","beekeeping wells bc","livestock zoning wells"],"cost":"No permit or fee is stated.","how_long":"Not applicable.","where":[{"type":"in_person","label":"Municipal Hall","value":"4243 Sanders Ave, Wells, BC V0K 2R0","note":"Hours are not stated on the District website."},{"type":"phone","label":"District Office","value":"250-994-3330"},{"type":"email","label":"District Office","value":"clerk@wells.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Wells zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/wells/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/quesnel","name":"Quesnel","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/quesnel/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/williams-lake","name":"Williams Lake","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/williams-lake/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/100-mile-house","name":"100 Mile House","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/100-mile-house/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/valemount","name":"Valemount","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/valemount/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/vanderhoof","name":"Vanderhoof","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vanderhoof/backyard-chickens/"},{"place":"ca/bc/clearwater","name":"Clearwater","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/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":"The Zoning Bylaw has no backyard-hen rule. The RR 1, RR 2 and R/A zones allow agricultural operations, including livestock and intensive (commercial) livestock operations, which include poultry or fowl operations. The residential zones (R 1, R 1A, R 2, R 3, R 4) list no agricultural use.","short":"No hen rule; agriculture in RR 1, RR 2, R/A zones","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"ss. 4.13.1(b)(x), 4.14.1(b)(x)","quotes":["agricultural operations, including horticulture, silviculture, livestock, intensive livestock operation, stockyard, beekeeping and aquaculture","means the raising and feeding of livestock on an intensive basis for commercial purposes","includes cattle, horses, mules, ass, sheep, goats, swine, musk ox, llamas, alpacas and rabbits","Agricultural operations, including horticulture, silviculture, livestock, intensive livestock operation, stockyard, beekeeping and aquaculture"]},{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"s. 2.0, definition 95","quotes":["this definition includes feedlots, poultry or fowl operations, fur farms"]},{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"s. 4.8.1 (R 1 zone; the R 1A, R 2, R 3 and RC zones read the same way)","quotes":["No person shall, within any R 1 zone, use any lot or erect, alter or use any building or structure for any purpose except one or more of the following R 1 uses"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"max_hens":{"label":"Most hens","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Wells' Zoning Bylaw sets no hen limit, rooster rule, coop or run rules, permit or fee.","sources":[]},"roosters":{"label":"Roosters","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Wells' Zoning Bylaw sets no hen limit, rooster rule, coop or run rules, permit or fee.","sources":[]},"coop_rules":{"label":"Coop rules","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Wells' Zoning Bylaw sets no hen limit, rooster rule, coop or run rules, permit or fee.","sources":[]},"registration":{"label":"Permit or registration","value":null,"status":"none","note":"Wells' Zoning Bylaw sets no hen limit, rooster rule, coop or run rules, permit or fee.","sources":[]},"bees":{"label":"Bees","value":"Beekeeping is allowed as part of an agricultural operation in the RR 1, RR 2 and R/A zones. The residential zones (R 1, R 1A, R 2, R 3, R 4) list no beekeeping.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"ss. 4.13.1(b)(x), 4.14.1(b)(x)","quotes":["agricultural operations, including horticulture, silviculture, livestock, intensive livestock operation, stockyard, beekeeping and aquaculture","Agricultural operations, including horticulture, silviculture, livestock, intensive livestock operation, stockyard, beekeeping and aquaculture"]},{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"s. 2.0, definition 19","quotes":["\"BEEKEEPING\" means an apiary or a place where bees are kept and raised"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"other_livestock":{"label":"Other livestock","value":"Livestock (cattle, horses, mules, ass, sheep, goats, swine, musk ox, llamas, alpacas and rabbits) is allowed as an agricultural operation in the RR 1, RR 2 and R/A zones. The residential zones list no agricultural use.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"ss. 4.13.1(b)(x), 4.14.1(b)(x)","quotes":["agricultural operations, including horticulture, silviculture, livestock, intensive livestock operation, stockyard, beekeeping and aquaculture","includes cattle, horses, mules, ass, sheep, goats, swine, musk ox, llamas, alpacas and rabbits","Agricultural operations, including horticulture, silviculture, livestock, intensive livestock operation, stockyard, beekeeping and aquaculture"]},{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"s. 2.0, definition 102","quotes":["includes cattle, horses, mules, ass, sheep, goats, swine, musk ox, llamas, alpacas and rabbits"]},{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"s. 4.8.1 (R 1 zone; the R 1A, R 2, R 3 and RC zones read the same way)","quotes":["No person shall, within any R 1 zone, use any lot or erect, alter or use any building or structure for any purpose except one or more of the following R 1 uses"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"District of Wells Zoning Bylaw (Bylaw No. 26, 2000; the amending bylaws call it the Zoning and Tree Protection Bylaw)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","section":"s. 4.13.1, 4.14.1","quotes":["agricultural operations, including horticulture, silviculture, livestock"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":8,"stated":4,"matched":4,"none":4,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe District's [Zoning Bylaw](https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf) (Bylaw No. 26, 2000) has no rule written for backyard hens. It allows agricultural operations in the RR 1, RR 2 and R/A zones. These include livestock (cattle, horses, mules, ass, sheep, goats, swine, musk ox, llamas, alpacas and rabbits), poultry or fowl operations, and beekeeping. The residential zones (R 1, R 1A, R 2, R 3, R 4) list no agricultural use, so hens, bees and livestock are not listed uses there.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Find out which zone your lot is in. The zone maps are in the Zoning Bylaw, or ask the District Office at 250-994-3330.\n2. If it is RR 1, RR 2 or R/A, ask what applies to poultry, bees or animals on your lot.\n3. If it is a residential zone, ask before buying birds or hives.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- The bylaw sets no hen limit, no rule on roosters, no coop or run rules and no hive limits. It states no permit or fee.\n- The RR 1 zone has a minimum lot size of 4 ha and RR 2 has 2 ha.\n- The bylaw's name in the amending bylaws is the Zoning and Tree Protection Bylaw.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/application/files/5615/9373/3636/Bylaw_No._26_2000_Zoning_Bylaw.pdf","title":"Zoning Bylaw No. 26, 2000 (PDF), District of Wells","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.wells.ca/district-wells/bylaws","title":"Bylaws, District of Wells","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 4 of 8 facts was matched to the official text; 4 are recorded as not set."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/wells/backyard-chickens/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/wells/backyard-chickens.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/wells/backyard-chickens.json"}}