Bylaw Review

Keeping Chickens on Single Family Lots Today

If you want to keep hens on a single family residential lot in Saanich, review our Animals Bylaw 8556 [PDF - 3 MB].

Bylaw highlights

  • You may only keep hens for personal use
  • You can’t have roosters
  • Owners must register their hens
  • Owners must live on the property where they keep the hens
  • Hens cannot run at large
  • Hens are to be kept in a building and enclosure in the property’s rear yard, at least 3m from the rear property line and 3m from any door or window
  • Each hen is required to have 0.37 m2 of indoor coop space and 0.92 m2 of roofed outdoor enclosure. The maximum coop and enclosure area should be less than 9.2 m2
  • Keep the coop and enclosure well maintained and cleaned
  • Clean up and store manure and chicken feed in a vermin-proof container

Survey Results

Online Open House 2010