Can you keep chickens in Borough of Berlin, NJ?
Only on larger lots. Berlin Borough has no backyard chicken program, but its Board of Health code calls it a public nuisance to keep poultry within 100 feet of the doors or windows of any building people occupy, or within 200 feet of a food-handling place, school or hospital.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified |
| Coop setback | 100 ft from doors or windows of any occupied building; 200 ft from a food-handling place, school or hospital |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
| Rule adopted | 1968 |
Good to know
- The nuisance list in the Board of Health code is the only place the Borough code mentions poultry.
- Chapter 89, Animals, covers only dogs, cats, vicious dogs, pet waste, wildlife feeding and pet shop sales.
- Chapter 335, Zoning and Land Use, never uses the words chicken, poultry, fowl, livestock or farm.
- The nuisance section dates from the 1968 Board of Health ordinance and has not been amended for chickens.
Source: Borough of Berlin Code (eCode360), § 355-12, Nuisances enumerated (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Berlin clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Borough of Berlin?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across CamdenCounty 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.