To determine your zone and whether you are permitted to have chickens, you must consult the following sections of the Rural Municipality of Reynolds Zoning Bylaw:

How to Find Your Zone

To identify which zone your property falls under, you must refer to the Zoning Map.

  • The Zoning Map: The municipality is divided into specific zones as shown on “Map 1 RM of Reynolds Zoning Map”.

  • Zone Categories: The Bylaw establishes several types of zones, including:

    • Urban – Residential Zones.

    • Rural Zones (e.g., “RGZ”, “RM1”, “RM1c”, and “RM2”).

    • Commercial/Industrial Zones.

  • If your property is near a boundary, the Bylaw provides specific rules for the “Interpretation of Zone Boundaries” to clarify exactly which regulations apply to your site.

Permissions for Chickens

The Bylaw regulates chickens under three primary categories, depending on the scale of the operation:

A. Livestock Operations (Large Scale) If you intend to keep a significant number of chickens for profit or large-scale production, it is classified as a Livestock Operation.

  • Definition: A livestock operation involves an “animal housing facility” or “confined livestock area”.

  • Animal Units: The Bylaw measures the scale of these operations using “Animal Units” (a.u.). You must refer to Table 4.9: Animal Unit Summary Table to determine how many chickens constitute a specific number of animal units.

  • Requirements: Livestock operations are subject to “Minimum Mutual Setback Requirements” (Table 4.8) and “Conditional Use Guidelines”.

B. Agricultural Activity (Small/General Scale) For non-commercial or general agricultural purposes, chickens may fall under Agricultural Activity:

  • Definition: This includes the production of agricultural products and the “pasturage” of animals.

  • Exclusions: This category specifically does not include “livestock operations” as defined above.

C. Under Residential Related Farm, chickens are allowed to a maximum of 9.9 AU or 1 AU per acre, whichever is less. This requires a Conditional Use Order from the municipality.

Summary Recommendation: First, locate your property on the Zoning Map. Once you know your zone, you must check the corresponding Use and Bulk Requirements Table (e.g., Table 4.1 for General Development or Table 4.6 for Rural Zones) to see if “Agricultural Activity” or “Livestock Operations” are listed as Permitted or Conditional uses in that specific area.