Can you keep chickens in Borough of Dunellen, NJ?
Yes, with a free annual permit from the Municipal Clerk. You can keep up to 8 hens; roosters and all other poultry are banned.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 8 mature chickens per permit |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required: free annual permit from the Municipal Clerk after a site inspection |
| Coop setback | 5 ft from any property line; no front yards |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
| Ducks | Not allowed |
Good to know
- One permit per residence; permits expire December 31 and can be renewed after December 1.
- Coop and run together may not exceed 100 square feet and must sit closer to your house than to any neighbor's house.
- Chickens must stay in an enclosed, predator-proof coop and run; no running at large and no sales or commercial breeding.
- Manure must be bagged with household trash or composted in an enclosed composter; fines up to $500.
What about ducks?
No. Dunellen's permit covers chickens only and says every other type of poultry is forbidden, so ducks are not allowed.
§ 103-42 (Ch. 103, Art. V): "The provisions of this article are intended to regulate the keeping of live chickens only. The keeping of any other types of poultry, including roosters, is strictly forbidden within the Borough." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Borough of Dunellen?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Middlesex 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 Middlesex County towns
Compare them side by side in the Middlesex 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.