Can you keep chickens in Township of Commercial, NJ?
Only on larger lots. In a residential district you need at least 1.5 acres, and you may keep up to 12 barnyard fowl with no housing or manure within 100 feet of a street or property line.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 12 birds |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified |
| Coop setback | Housing and manure at least 100 feet from any adjacent street or property line; fencing at least 10 feet from property lines and 50 feet from the nearest other dwelling |
| Lot size | Min. 1.5 acres |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Class III animals are any feathered vertebrate, including chickens, hens, geese, ducks and turkeys.
- Birds must be kept in a pen, corral or other suitable enclosure with appropriate animal housing.
- The limits do not apply in the A Agriculture zoning district or on a bona fide farm.
- Pigs are prohibited in all residential, business and industrial zoning districts.
What about ducks?
Ducks follow the same rule as chickens. In a residential district you need at least 1.5 acres to keep up to 12 barnyard birds, ducks included, with no housing or manure within 100 feet of a street or property line.
§ 145-55A(3); § 145-55B(2): "Class III animals: Any feathered vertebrate animal, including, but not limited to, chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, hens, pheasants or other animals commonly referred to as "barnyard."" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Commercial?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Cumberland 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 Cumberland County towns
Compare them side by side in the Cumberland 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.