Can you keep chickens in Township of Elk, NJ?
Only on larger lots. Elk treats poultry as small animals, which need about an acre of land beyond the house lot, and the coop has to sit 75 feet from any residential property line.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified |
| Coop setback | Coop 75 ft from a residential property line, 50 ft from a nonresidential or street line |
| Lot size | Min. 1 acre for small animals, on top of the lot area the house needs |
| Rule adopted | Aug 2006 |
Good to know
- Large animals need two acres beyond the residential building lot area; small animals need 50 percent of that.
- Fencing or grazing land is exempt from the 75-foot rule, but coops and other animal structures are not.
- Chickens, ducks, geese, guinea hens, peacocks and turkeys all count as livestock in the animal control chapter.
- Wherever livestock is kept, a fence at least four feet high and strong enough to hold them is required.
- Commercial piggeries and swine farms are banned township-wide.
Source: Township of Elk Code (eCode360), § 96-46, Animals on lots, with § 60-23, Definitions (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Township of Elk clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Township of Elk?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across GloucesterCounty 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.
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.