Can you keep chickens in Township of Bordentown, NJ?
Yes, with an annual license on a lot of at least 10,000 square feet. Four hens are allowed up to half an acre, six up to two acres, and roosters are banned.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | 4 to 12 hens, based on lot size |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required: annual license, with a zoning inspection before the first one |
| Coop setback | Coop and run at least 10 feet from any property line and 25 feet from any home |
| Lot size | Min. 10,000 square feet |
| Rule adopted | April 2025 |
| Ducks | Allowed with conditions |
Good to know
- Only on a detached single-family home where the principal use is residential, and only the owner in fee may hold the license.
- Standards were amended 4-28-2025 by Ordinance 2025-03.
- Coop must be in the rear yard, at most 80 square feet and 6 feet tall, with coop and run together no more than 150 square feet.
- Selling eggs and slaughtering on the premises are both prohibited.
What about ducks?
Only on a qualified farm of five acres or more. Bordentown Township bans livestock, which covers animals raised for food or pleasure such as ducks, except on qualified farms; the backyard exception covers chickens only.
§ 500-401E; § 500-202 (Livestock); Ch. 183, Art. IV: "In all zoning districts, the keeping of livestock is prohibited except on qualified farms ... only where the subject property has a minimum of five contiguous acres. However, the keeping of chickens is permitted" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Bordentown?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Burlington 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 Burlington County towns
Compare them side by side in the Burlington 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.