Can you keep chickens in Bernards Township, NJ?
In Bernards (Basking Ridge), chickens are treated as farm livestock and may only be kept on lots of 2 acres or more, with the shelter set back at least 100 feet from any property or street line. There's no small-lot backyard allowance, and poultry farms require at least 50 acres.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No numeric cap (the 2-acre minimum gates it) |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | No chicken-specific permit (conditional-use / zoning) |
| Coop setback | 100 ft from any property or street line (shelter and fenced area) |
| Lot size | Minimum 2 acres; poultry farms need 50+ acres |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- There's no 'backyard chicken' provision in the code. Chickens fall under 'farm livestock.'
- On lots with more than 500 ft of frontage, the fenced-area setback drops to 50 ft.
What about ducks?
Unclear. Bernards treats chickens as farm livestock on 2-acre lots, but the code never defines poultry or mentions ducks, so confirm with the township.
§ 21-12.3e: "Ponies, horses, cows, sheep or other farm livestock may be kept or raised on properties which are two acres or more in area" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Bernards Township?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Somerset County 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.
Chicken rules in nearby Somerset County towns
Compare them side by side in the Somerset County table.
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.