Can you keep chickens in Township of Barnegat, NJ?
Only on larger lots. Barnegat allows one farm animal for domestic use on a lot of at least one acre, plus one more animal for each additional acre.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | One farm animal per acre |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified; a conditional use permit is needed in the R-20 zone |
| Coop setback | No manure storage within 100 feet of an adjoining property line |
| Lot size | Min. 1 acre |
Good to know
- The one-acre rule is a permitted use in the PW, R-40, RL, RL/AC, RM and PF zones and a conditional use in the R-20 zone.
- The code does not define farm animal, and there is no separate chapter on keeping chickens.
- Commercial farms raising livestock and poultry for gain need at least 5 acres, with buildings and manure at least 200 feet from adjoining property lines.
- Searched the Barnegat code for chicken, chickens, poultry and fowl; no backyard hen section came back.
Source: Township of Barnegat Code (eCode360), § 55-10A(14), R-40 Residential Zone; § 55-11C(4), R-20 Residential Zone (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Township of Barnegat clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Ocean County towns
Building a coop in Township of Barnegat?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across OceanCounty and all of New Jersey, sized to your flock and built to your town's rules.
In an HOA? The town allowing hens is not the same as your association allowing them. What an HOA can and cannot stop.
New to this? Start with how to raise chickens in NJ, or what a coop costs.
Ready to keep your flock safe?
Tell us about your animals and your land. We'll design a coop built to last, on-site, just for you.