Can you keep chickens in Township of Bethlehem, NJ?
Bethlehem allows poultry as a farming use protected by its Right-to-Farm ordinance. The one hard rule is that any poultry or livestock shelter must sit at least 100 feet from every property line and every dwelling.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes |
| Hens | No numeric cap |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | No poultry-specific permit (construction and zoning permits apply to structures) |
| Coop setback | Poultry or livestock shelter at least 100 ft from any dwelling and 100 ft from any property line |
| Lot size | No stated minimum for keeping poultry |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- The Right-to-Farm chapter protects producing livestock, poultry, and related commodities.
- The animals chapter covers only dogs, cats, and wildlife feeding, with no poultry limits.
- This is Bethlehem Township, NJ (Hunterdon), not Bethlehem, PA.
What about ducks?
Unclear. Bethlehem requires poultry shelters to sit 100 feet from property lines and dwellings, but never defines poultry or mentions ducks, so check with the township.
§ 102-17C, § 102-17E; § 81-1: "no poultry or livestock shelter (excluding dog runs or other shelters for household pets) shall be erected, used or located closer than 100 feet to any property line." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Bethlehem?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Hunterdon 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 Hunterdon County towns
Compare them side by side in the Hunterdon 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.