Backyard Chickens

[labont865]

Sorry I don't have time to read through all 31 pages of this topic.
What is the current regulations in Kelowna for keeping chickens? I just bought a house here and would like to get some hens for eggs.

[Lady tehMa]

City of Kelowna
BYLAW NO. 5421-82
REVISED: September 10, 2012
CONSOLIDATED FOR CONVENIENCE TO INCLUDE
BYLAW NOS. 5949-85, 7214, 8276, 8767, 10033 and 10711
ANIMAL AND POULTRY REGULATION AND ANIMAL POUND BYLAW
A bylaw pursuant to Section 933 of the Municipal Act to
regulate the keeping of horses, mules, *bleep*, cattle, sheep,
goats, swine, rabbits, and other animals
WHEREAS it is deemed desirable to regulate the keeping of animals and poultry in the City of
Kelowna;
AND WHEREAS it is deemed advisable to establish and regulate an Animal Pound in the City of
Kelowna;
AND WHEREAS it is deemed desirable to prohibit the running at large of animals and poultry
within the City of Kelowna;
NOW THEREFORE, the Municipal Council of the City of Kelowna, in open meeting assembled,
enacts as follows:
1. DEFINITIONS
In this bylaw, unless the context otherwise requires:
BL5949-85 and BL10033 amended definitions:
“Animal” means any cattle, horse, sheep, swine, goat, guinea pig or poultry.
“Brand Inspector” means any Inspector appointed under the Livestock Brand Act,
Chapter 25, R.S.B.C. 1979 as amended.
“Cattle” means any bull, cow, ox, heifer, steer or calf.
“City” means the City of Kelowna or the area within the municipal boundaries thereof
as the context may require.
“Council” means the Municipal Council of the City of Kelowna.
“Director of Finance” means the person appointed as such by the Municipal Council
from time to time.
“Horse” means any horse, mare, gelding, colt, filly, *bleep* or mule.
Consolidated Bylaw No. 5421-82 – Page 2.
“Impounded” means seized, delivered, received, or taken into the Pound or in the
custody of the Poundkeeper as provided herein.
“Lot” means the smallest unit in which the land is designated as a separate and
distinct parcel on a legally recorded plan or description filed in the Land Title Office.
“Owner” in respect of any animal, includes possessor or harbourer.
“Owned” means possessed or harboured.
“Person” means an individual but shall be construed as meaning the plural, masculine,
feminine, body politic or corporate where the context may require.
BL7214 replaced the following definition:
“Poultry” means any domestic fowl, turkey, goose, duck, or pigeon.
“Pound” means any building, enclosure or place established as such, by the Council
from time to time, for the keeping of animals impounded under this bylaw.
“Poundkeeper” means the person appointed from time to time by the Council for the
purpose of enforcing and carrying out the provisions of this bylaw, and shall include
any assistant poundkeeper appointed pursuant to the provisions of this bylaw.
BL10033 added a new definition:
”Rabbit” means any non-native rabbit, including rabbits kept as domestic pets, farm
animals, or feral rabbits.”
BL10033 added a new definition:
“Rabbit Warren” means any site where rabbits tunnel, or a site which harbours
rabbits, including but not necessarily limited to piles of logs, rocks or debris.”
“Run or Running at Large” when used with reference to any animals means being
elsewhere than on the premises of a person owning or having the custody, care or
control of said animal and not being under the immediate charge and control of a
responsible and competent person.
“Structure” means any building, shed, stable, or other type of housing used for the
shelter or enclosure of animals.
BL8276 replaced the following definition:
”Zone or Zones” shall have the same meaning and classification as contained and
identified in the Zoning Bylaw.
BL8276 added a new definition:
”Zoning Bylaw” means the City of Kelowna Zoning Bylaw No. 8000.
The words herein shall be construed as meaning singular or plural, and masculine or feminine,
wherever the context so requires.
Consolidated Bylaw No. 5421-82 – Page 3.
2. REGULATIONS
BL7214, BL8276, BL8767 and BL10711 amended Section 2(a):
(a) Except as outlined in this section, the keeping of animals and poultry other
than household pets is prohibited in all Zones in the City. The keeping of
animals and poultry, when permitted in the Zoning Bylaw, shall comply with
the following restrictions:
(i) In the A1, RR1, RR2, RR3, and RU1 zones, or in one of these zones with
an “c” notation as part of the zoning classification, as defined in the
Zoning Bylaw, where the lot is less than ½ acre (.20 ha.) in area – two
(2) rabbits are permitted.
(ii) In the A1, RR1, RR2, RR3, and RU1 zones, or in one of these zones with
an “c” notation as part of the zoning classification, as defined in the
Zoning Bylaw, where the lot is more than ½ acre (.20 ha.) but less than
1 acre (.40 ha.) in area – ten (10) rabbits or ten (10) poultry or a
combination thereof are permitted.
(iii) In the RR3 and RU1 zones, or in one of these zones with an “c” notation
as part of the zoning classification, as defined in the Zoning Bylaw,
where the lot is more than 1 acre (.40 ha.) but less than two acres (.81
ha.) in area – one (1) horse, or one (1) cow, or one (1) steer, or one (1)
goat, or one (1) sheep, or one (1) other large animal; plus then (10)
rabbits or ten (10) poultry or a combination thereof are permitted.
(iv) In the RR3 and RU1 zones, or in one of these zones with an “c” notation
as part of the zoning classification, as defined in the Zoning Bylaw,
where the lot exceeds 2 acres (.81 ha.) in area – not more than two (2)
animals consisting of horses, cattle, sheep, or goats, or a combination
thereof, plus twenty (20) rabbits or twenty (20) poultry, or a
combination thereof are permitted.
(v) In the A1, RR1, and RR2, or in one of these zones with an “c” notation
as part of the zoning classification, as defined in the Zoning Bylaw,
zones where the lot is more than 1 acre (.40 ha.) and less than 2 acres
(.81 ha.) in area – the number of animals and poultry is unlimited
except as outlined in the Zoning Bylaw.
(vi) In the A1 zone, or in one of this zone with an “c” notation as part of the
zoning classification, as defined in the Zoning Bylaw, where the lot is
more than 2 acres (.81 ha.) in area, the number of animals and poultry
is unlimited except as outlined in the Zoning Bylaw.
(b) Accessory buildings or structures used to shelter or house animals or poultry
with the exception of household pets, shall be a minimum of fifty (50) feet
(15.24 metres) from any building used for residential purposes located on the
same lot.
(c) Accessory buildings or structures used to shelter or house animals or poultry
with the exception of household pets, shall be a minimum of fifty (50) feet
(15.24 metres) from any front, side, or rear lot line of the lot it occupies.
(d) Animals and poultry shall be kept enclosed by secure fences or corrals.
Consolidated Bylaw No. 5421-82 – Page 4.
(e) Accessory buildings and structures used to shelter or house animals or fowl
(with the exception of household pets) shall be situated not less than one
hundred (100) feet (30.48 metres) from all wells and streams.
(f) No person shall keep swine, male goats, or more than four (4) guinea pigs on
any lot in the City, unless the lot is assessed as “Farm Land” as defined in the
Municipal Act.
(g) No person shall keep bee hives on a lot within the City of Kelowna, which has
an area of less than one and one-half acres (.61 hectares).
BL10033 added new sub-sections (h), (i) and (j):
(h) No owner or occupier of property shall have or keep a rabbit on his property
except confined in a secure, enclosed structure.
(i) No person shall sell or give away rabbits that have not been spayed or
neutered.
(j) An owner or occupier of property shall remove or modify any rabbit warren on
the property, so as to prevent the harbouring of any rabbits.

[Lady tehMa]

Hey, you can rent chickens now! http://www.rentthechicken.com/

All we need is for the City of Kelowna to catch up with the times and allow it.

[Always Sunny]

Hey, you can rent chickens now! http://www.rentthechicken.com/

All we need is for the City of Kelowna to catch up with the times and allow it.

The Kamloops package for May until October (so I assume not including October) is $425 + PST/GST = $476

That's roughly 22 weeks @ 8-14 eggs per week (total), so 176-308 eggs or 15-26 dozen.

That works out to be $18.30-$31.73 per dozen? Plus $60 if you want the organic feed (which I think is supposed to be at least part of the draw of doing it yourself).

[Lady tehMa]

So what would be the setup cost to do it on your own, and how many hours of manpower?

I'm wondering if this is a status thing for the organic crew, or a way to entice DIY-shy people into some DIY.

[Always Sunny]

The few images available on that link and their Facebook page show a very small and basic looking coop. Definitely looks like something someone with high school shop class level carpentry skills could cobble together for under $100 in an afternoon. I was at Buckerfield's the other day and they had an aquarium full of baby chicks which they assured me were not for feeding exotic animals, so backyard chickens I guess.

[Nom_de_Plume]

Yes you could do it for cheaper.
But... it does take 5 months before those baby chicks start to lay, by then your nice weather season is over and that quick and dirty coop you made for less than 100$ won't be suitable for over wintering those birds.
You now need insulation, heat lights and a bigger indoor area.
The minimum certified organic standards for laying hens are 1 bird per 1.79sqft indoor area and 2.69sqft per bird of outdoor area.
I'm using the certified organic standards as a guide because in my opinion all other measurements are inhumane.
Current battery cage size in Canada is .465sqft per bird. Even once we transition into "the enhanced environment" @ .8sqft per bird it's still too small in my opinion.
Renting in this manner is a good idea for people who aren't sure they are prepared for the actual reality of owning chickens. You can't just bugger off for a long weekend without having someone babysit your birds.

[RAINCANADA]

If your lot is more than one-half acre, you allowed to have 10 hens.

[Treblehook]

I wonder why some of the realities associated with backyard chickens are never mentioned in any of the discussions surrounding whether they should be permitted. If they are permitted, there is little doubt that they will exist in or near the interface areas and common sense will dictate they will attract a variety of predators....coyotes, rats, raccoons, bears to name but a few. So, a few people want to keep chickens and the rest of the community has to endure the negative side of their little hobby.

[oneh2obabe]

Link to poll and story ... https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#253166

[two_shoes1mit]

Link to poll and story ... https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#253166

We did this for a couple years. In the comments in the above story, there was much mention of "stink." We did not have stink because we cleaned the coop on a regular basis. We did not have a rooster - so there was no noise. I loved having them as backyard pets. They didn't spoil the garden or landscaping. I wasn't prepared to over winter them, so I gave them to friend who had a small farm and many chickens. My children were younger and wanted to raise chicks. Why did we quit? It was around the same time that composting was being promoted in Kelowna. Composting and the messy way that chickens eat combined with their low hung feeder resulted in an explosion of rats and mice. We quit the chickens first, and then a few years later quite composting. It wasn't until the composting pile was removed that the mice and rats moved on to other locations.