NJ chicken rules · Morris County
Can you keep chickens in Borough of Chester, NJ?
Chester Borough permits chickens as a farm-animal accessory use in all zones, but only if you meet sanitation, acreage, and property-line-buffer standards. There's no simple backyard-hen allowance with a set number.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No numeric limit (intensive poultry over 100 animals is a prohibited use) |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified (treated as a permitted agricultural use under land-development standards) |
| Coop setback | A boundary buffer between enclosures and adjoining properties is required, but no figure is stated for fowl |
| Lot size | No stated minimum for fowl (the 3-acre grazing rule applies only to horses and cattle) |
Good to know
- Zoning permits raising farm animals including fowl, provided proper sanitation, acreage, and boundary buffers are established.
- Specifics are set case by case against land-development standards, not a chicken ordinance.
- This is Chester Borough, distinct from Chester Township.
Source: Borough of Chester Code, Ch. 163 Land Use, Art. IX (eCode360), § 163-70L(12) — view the ordinance
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district — always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Chester clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Borough of Chester?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across MorrisCounty and all of New Jersey, sized to your flock and built to your town's rules.
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.