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BYLAW NO 18-2026
OF THE TOWN OF BRUDERHEIM
(hereinafter referred to as "the Municipality")
IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA
BEING A BYLAW OF THE TOWN OF BRUDERHEIM IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, FOR THE LICENSING,
REGULATING AND CONFINEMENT OF URBAN HENS WITHIN THE TOWN OF BRUDERHEIM
WHEREAS pursuant to provisions of the Municipal Government Act, Council has the authority to regulate
or prohibit certain activities for municipal purposes respecting the safety, health, and welfare of people and
the protection of people and property, wild and domestic animals, and certain activities in relation to
them: and
WHEREAS, pursuant to provisions of the Municipal Government Act, Council has the authority to provide
for a system of licenses, permits and approvals; and
WHEREAS Council deems it necessary to assess the viability of keeping urban hens within the Town; and
NOTWITHSTANDING any Town Bylaws or Regulations enacted by Council;
NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Town of Bruderheim, hereby enacts a Urban Hen Program as follows:
1. BYLAW TITLE
1.1 This Bylaw is known as "Urban Hen Bylaw."
2. DEFINTIONS
2.1 For the purpose of this Bylaw:
a.
"Act" means the Municipal Government Act, RSA 2000, c.M-26;
b.
"Animal Health Act" means Statute of Alberta 2007, Chapter A-40.2;
c.
"CAO" means the Chief Administrative Officer or it's designate;
d.
"COOP" means a fully enclosed weatherproof structure and attached outdoor
enclosure used for the keeping of urban hens that is no larger than 10 m2 in floor area, and no
more than 2 m in height.
e.
"Council" means the Council of The Town of Bruderheim;
f.
"Flanked" means be on each or on one side of;
g.
"Hen" means a female chicken;
h.
"Land Use Bylaw" means Bylaw 11-2026 as amended from time to time;
i.
"Livestock" includes, but is not limited to horses, cattle, sheep, swine, goats, llamas, and any other
animal typically raised for agricultural purposes, but does not include urban hens;
j.
"Outdoor enclosure" means a securely enclosed, roofed outdoor area attached to and
forming part of a coop having a bare earth or vegetated floor for urban hens to roam;
k.
"Officer" means a Bylaw Enforcement Officer as appointed by the Town to enforce bylaws of
the Town;
l.
"Rooster" means a domesticated male chicken;
m. "Sell" means exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent;
n.
"Town" mean the Town of Bruderheim, a municipal corporation in the Province of Alberta, and
where the context so requires, means the area of land within the corporate boundaries
thereof;
o.
"Urban Area" means lands located within the Town on which agricultural operations including
but not limited to the keeping of livestock are neither a permitted or discretionary use under
the Bylaws of the Town;
p.
"Urban Hen" means a hen that is at least 16 weeks of age and kept for non-commercial
purposes;
q.
"Urban Hen License" means a license for the lifetime of the hen keeper.
3. PURPOSE
3.1 The purpose of the Urban Hen Bylaw is to regulate and control the keeping of
urban hens in the Town.
4. PROHIBITIONS
4.1 No person shall be permitted to keep a rooster or hen in an urban area, other than an urban hen
for which a valid urban hen license has been issued;
4.2 No person shall be permitted to keep urban hens within Town limits without a license issued by the
Town of Bruderheim, any person who keeps, hosts or maintains an urban hen without a valid
Urban Hen License is guilty of an offence and is liable to a specified penalty set out in "Schedule A"
of this Bylaw.
5. URBAN HEN LICENSE
5.1 A person may apply to keep a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of six 6) urban hens by
submitting a completed application, on the form provided by the Town, including:
a)
A site plan including coop dimensions and identified setbacks;
b)
Proof of training-completion certificate from an approved urban hen keeping course;
c)
The Premises Identification Number(PID), as issued by the Province of Alberta;
d)
Any other information deemed necessary and/or requested by the Town; and
5.2 An Urban Hen License may not be issued unless:
a)
The applicant is the owner of the property or consent has been provided by the landowner on
which the urban hens will be kept;
b)
All urban hen keeping guidelines and regulations are being compiled with; and
c)
The applicant has complied with all other Provincial and Federal regulations for the keeping of
livestock.
5.3 A person to whom an Urban Hen license has been issued shall produce the license on the demand of
the CAO or Bylaw Enforcement Officer.
5.4 A Hen License is a lifetime license for the applicant only and not transferable to another person;
5.5 If an Urban Hen keeper changes residence in the Town of Bruderheim a new site plan must be
submitted to maintain the license;
5.6 An Urban Hen keeper's lifetime license may be revoked at the discretion of the officer;
5.7 If the site of your coop changes within your existing yard a new site plan must be submitted to
maintain your lifetime license.
6. KEEPING OF URBAN HENS
6.1 Hen Keepers must:
a) Provide each urban hen with at least 0.37 m2 (4 sqft) of interior floor area, and at least 0.92 m2
(10 sqft) of outdoor enclosure, within the coop;
b) Ensure rear yards shall be fully enclosed with fencing at least 5 feet (1.82 m) in height; and
c) Ensure that each coop is:
1. Located within the rear yard of the lot behind a detached or semi-detached dwelling, as
defined in the Land Use Bylaw;
2. A minimum 3.0 m (10 ft) from a dwelling unit;
3. A minimum 1.0 m (3.2 ft) from a side lot or 4.0 m (12.8 ft) from a lot line that abuts a
flanking road;
4. A minimum 1.0 m (3.2 ft) from any other buildings;
5. No larger than 10 m2 (108 sqft) in floor area; and
6. No more than 2 m (6.5 ft) in height.
7. Only one (1) coop per property shall be permitted;
8. Provide and maintain, in the coop, at least one nest box per coop and one perch per
urban hen that is at least 15 cm long;
9. Provide each urban hen with food, water, shelter, light, ventilation, care, and
opportunities for essential behaviors such as scratching, dustbathing, and roosting, al
sufficient to maintain the urban hen in good health;
10. Maintain the coop in good repair and sanitary condition, and free from vermin and
noxious or offensive smells and substances and keep predator free;
11. Keep the coop secured from sunset to sunrise with hens not allowed to roam freely;
12. Remove leftover feed, trash, and manure in a timely manner;
13. Store feed within a fully enclosed container;
14. Store manure within a fully enclosed container, and store no more than 3 cubic feet of
manure at any time;
15. Follow biosecurity procedures recommended by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
to reduce potential for disease outbreak;
16. Keep urban hens for personal use only;
17. No person who keeps urban hens shall:
a) Sell eggs, manure, meat, or other products derived from an urban hen;
b) Slaughter any urban hen on the property or within Town boundaries;
c) Dispose of an urban hen except by delivering it to a farm, abattoir, veterinarian, or
other operation that is lawfully permitted to dispose of such; and
d) Keep an urban hen in a cage, kennel, or any other form of shelter other than a coop.
7. ENFORCEMENT
7.1 Where an Officer has reasonable ground to believe that a person has contravened any provision of
this Bylaw, he or she may serve upon the person a Municipal Ticket allowing payment of the
specified fine as set out in Schedule "A" of this Bylaw or issue a stop order under section 645 of
MGA;
7.2 After a second violation an officer may revoke the Urban Hen keeper's license.
7.3 In the event of the revocation of an Urban Hen License, the Licensee will be given thirty (30) days to
rehome the hens;
7.4 Should hens and/or a coop be ordered to be removed, all costs and associated expenditure related
to the removal shall be the responsibility of the property owner.
8. APPEAL PROCEDURE
8.1 A person who receives a written order under this bylaw may request Council to review the order
by delivering a written request attached to their written notice, to the Chief Administrative Officer
within fourteen (14) days of the date the order is received. The order shall be deemed received
within 5 days of mailing.
8.2 After reviewing the order Council may confirm, vary, substitute or cancel the order.
9. INTERFERENCE WITH TOWN FORCES
9.1 No person shall hinder, interrupt, or cause to be hindered by any employee of the Town or its
contractors, servants or agents or workers, in the exercise of the powers or duties as authorized or
required in the Urban Hen Bylaw.
10. AUTHORITY OF THE CAO
10.1
Without restricting any other power, duty, or function granted by the Urban Hen Bylaw, the CAO
may:
a. Carry out an inspection to determine compliance with the Urban Hen Bylaw;
b. Take any steps or carry out any actions required to enforce the Urban Hen Bylaw;
c. Take any steps or carry out any actions required to remedy a contravention of the Urban Hen
Program Bylaw;
d. Establish forms for the purposes of the Urban Hen Bylaw; and
e. Delegate any powers, duties, or functions under the Urban Hen Bylaw to a Town employee.
11. GENERAL
11.1
Nothing in the Urban Hen Program Bylaw relieves a person from complying with any
Federal or Provincial law or regulation, other Urban Hen Bylaw, or any requirement of
any lawful permit, order, or license.
12. SEVERABILITY
12.1
If any portion of this Bylaw is declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the invalid
portion shall be severed, and the remainder of the Bylaw is deemed valid.
13. EFECTIVE DATE
13.1
That this Bylaw shall come into force and effect upon the date of third reading and is duly signed.
14. REPEAL
14.1
Bylaw 15-2026, Urban Hen Bylaw is hereby repealed upon Third and Final reading of
Bylaw 18-2026.
READ A FIRST TIME this 19th day of August 2026.
READ A SECOND TIME this 19th day of August 2026.
READ A THIRD AND FINAL TIME this 19th day of August 2026.
Original Signed
Mayor
Original Signed
Chief Administrative Officer
SCHEDULE "A"
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
SECTION
Offense
First
Second
4.1
Rooster within Town Boundaries
$115.00
$230.00
4.2
Keeping urban hens without a license
$250.00
$500.00
5.1
Keeping more than 6 hens or less than 2 hens
$115.00
$230.00
6.1(a)
Coop fails to meet size/enclosure requirements
$115.00
$230.00
6.1 (b)
Coop not located properly on parcel
$115.00
$230.00
6.1(c)(11)
Hens running at large
$115.00
$230.00
6.1 (c)(10)
Fail to maintain coop in a sanitary condition/good repair
$115.00
$230.00
6.1 (c)(14)
Waste not stored in an enclosed structure or container
$115.00
$230.00
6.1 (c)(17)(a)
Meat or eggs produced from the keeping of hens sold
$115.00
$230.00
6.1(c)(17)(b)
Slaughter of hens within Town boundaries
$115.00
$230.00
6.1(c)(17)(c)
Unlawful disposal of deceased hens
$115.00
$230.00