Backyard hens & livestock — Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8, Alberta

Can I keep chickens, bees, or livestock on my property?

In the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8, Alberta, backyard hens & livestock rules are set by Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 Land Use Bylaw No. 10-26, verified 2026-09-27. Max hens: Maximum of ten (10) chickens (R-1 parcels in the Hamlet of Benchlands and CR parcels). Livestock rule: Livestock prohibited in Hamlet/Country Residential except per Table 36; Benchlands allows max 2 horses/llamas per parcel, total 10. Permit or licence: Development Permit required for all Livestock uses; fee not stated.

Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 Land Use Bylaw No. 10-26 adopted bylaw
hens permitted yes D.2.2.7; Table 36
max hens Maximum of ten (10) chickens (R-1 parcels in the Hamlet of Benchlands and CR parcels) "Maximum of ten (10) chickens only"
livestock rule Livestock prohibited in Hamlet/Country Residential except per Table 36; Benchlands allows max 2 horses/llamas per parcel, total 10. D.2.2.1; Table 36
permit or licence Development Permit required for all Livestock uses; fee not stated D.2.2.11
setback 9.1 m (30.0 ft) from any property line; not within front yard "be located a minimum of 9.1 m (30.0 ft) from any property line"; "shall in no case be located within the front yard"
scout note

Section D.2.2 prohibits Livestock in Hamlet/Country Residential districts except per Table 36's Animal Unit densities (20 chickens/ducks/geese/turkeys/rabbits/roosters/peacocks = 1 unit); keeping Chickens is separately regulated with coop/enclosure rules and up to 10 chickens allowed in some districts, with temporary front-yard grazing only inside a secured pen.

Machine-readable: backyard-hens.json · Official website: http://www.mdbighorn.ca · Last verified 2026-09-27 · Backyard hens & livestock across Alberta · Backyard hens & livestock in other municipalities