Backyard hens & livestock — Southwold, Ontario

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

In the Township of Southwold, Ontario, hens permitted: True; max hens: 6; roosters prohibited: True; permit or licence: Licence required; fee per User Fees By-law (By-law No. 2024-53); township cap of 20 licences/year. Source: Backyard Hen Licence By-Law 2024-59, verified 2026-08-29.

Backyard Hen Licence By-Law 2024-59 adopted bylaw
hens permitted True s. 2.1
max hens 6 s. 5.1
roosters prohibited True s. 5.3
permit or licence Licence required; fee per User Fees By-law (By-law No. 2024-53); township cap of 20 licences/year s. 2.6; s. 2.7
setback 2 m of any dwelling; 3 m of any lot line; 1.5 m of any structure; 15 m of lot line on which a school is located s. 6.1
scout note

Licenses backyard hen keeping in Residential Type 1 (R1) zones only, on properties of at least 1,000 m2, with township-wide licences capped at 20 per year and a waitlist beyond that. Maximum 6 hens per licensed property, hens at least 4 months old, roosters strictly prohibited, no on-site slaughtering and no selling of eggs, manure or meat. One coop and

Machine-readable: backyard-hens.json · Official website: http://www.southwold.ca/ · Last verified 2026-08-29 · Backyard hens & livestock in other municipalities