NJ chicken rules · Middlesex County
Can you keep chickens in Township of East Brunswick, NJ?
East Brunswick has no dedicated backyard-chicken ordinance. Keeping poultry is treated as an agricultural use permitted in the township's rural and rural-preservation zoning districts, so whether you can keep hens depends on your parcel's zone, and any fowl kept must be confined. Confirm with the township.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Unclear |
| Hens | Not specified (no numeric limit in the code) |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified (governed by zoning eligibility) |
| Coop setback | Not specified (fowl must be confined and not run at large) |
| Lot size | Depends on zoning district (agriculture is permitted in rural zones) |
Good to know
- Poultry appears only in the zoning definition of agriculture, not as a townwide backyard right.
- The Right to Farm chapter allows fowl production in the Rural Preservation Zone under accepted farm practices.
- Fowl may not run at large and must be confined (§ 83-14).
Source: Township of East Brunswick Code, Ch. 99 & Ch. 228 (eCode360), § 99-3, 228-3, 83-14 — view the ordinance
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district — always confirm the current rules with the Township of East Brunswick clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Township of East Brunswick?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across MiddlesexCounty 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.
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