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Municipality Life / Projects / Laying Hens: Time-limited pilot project

LAYING HENS: Time-limited pilot project

The Municipality wishes to allow laying hens on its territory, specially for residential properties. At the May 19 special Council meeting, it adopted a by-law setting up a two-year pilot project. There would be rules and conditions to minimize inconvenience for the community.

Any owner, tenant, or occupant of property within the Municipality who wishes to keep laying hens must first obtain a certificate of authorization from the Municipality at a cost of $20.

To obtain a certificate, you’ll need to submit the following:

  • Application form for a certificate of authorization, duly completed and signed by the applicant
  • Construction plan, sketch, or photo of the chicken coop and pen
  • Plan showing the location where the chicken coop will be installed (or built), indicating the distances from any buildings, property lines, and wells
  • Payment of $20
  • Signature of the applicant/owner (an applicant or occupant who is not an owner will be required to submit written authorization from the owner(s) and adjacent landowners, as applicable)


Before applying for a certificate of authorization to keep laying hens, please familiarize yourself with the applicable rules to ensure you meet all the requirements for this type of activity.


LAYING HENS – SUMMARY OF APPLICABLE RULES

Certificate of authorization and cost 

Any owner, tenant, or occupant of property within the Municipality who wishes to keep laying hens must first obtain a certificate of authorization from the Municipality at a cost of $20.

Required area

The property on which laying hens will be kept (residential assessment unit) must be at least 2,000 m² in size. If the property is less than 2,000 m² in size, the owner must obtain written authorization from all owners of assessment units (vacant or not) adjacent to their property.

Number of hens 

A minimum of three (3) hens and a maximum of five (5) hens are allowed per residential property (per assessment unit). Keeping a rooster or chicks is prohibited.

Coop and pen location

The coop and pen must be installed in the backyard or side yard of the property. In addition, the coop and pen must comply with the setbacks stipulated in the zoning bylaw and must at all times comply with a fixed setback of 30 metres from any lake, watercourse, or wetland and any well.

Coop and pen

The coop should be designed to provide proper ventilation and adequate living space.
The coop must provide at least 0.37 m² per hen, and the outdoor pen must provide at least 0.92 m² per hen. The coop and pen must not exceed 10.0 m² each.
The maximum height from the ground to the highest level of the roof of the coop or outdoor pen must not exceed 2.5 metres.
The hens must be kept inside the coop or outdoor pen at all times with wire netting that prevents them from leaving freely.

Maintenance and hygiene

The keeper of the hens must look after their health and welfare, ensure that they have fresh water and sufficient feed, and keep the coop and pen clean.

No odour from keeping hens should be noticeable outside the limits of the property where the birds are kept.