Can you keep chickens in Township of Elsinboro, NJ?
Only on larger lots. Elsinboro allows up to 12 chickens or other fowl on a lot of at least 1 acre, with birds housed at least 200 feet from every property line.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 12 (on 1+ acre) |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified for a small flock |
| Coop setback | Birds and manure 200 ft from adjacent property lines; animal fencing 10 ft from lines and 50 ft from a neighbor's home |
| Lot size | Min. 1 acre |
| Rule adopted | April 2007 |
Good to know
- Chickens are Class III animals, a group that also covers geese, ducks, turkeys and other barnyard fowl; the 12-bird cap covers them all.
- The limits do not apply in an agricultural district or on a farm, which the code defines as more than 5 acres used to raise products for gain.
- Commercial poultry farms need a 10-acre parcel, and poultry farm applications need a county agricultural agent's opinion reviewed by the Planning Board.
- General purpose agriculture, which includes poultry, is a permitted use in every zone.
Source: Township of Elsinboro Code (eCode360), § 115-53, Keeping of animals and livestock; kennels and animal hospitals (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Township of Elsinboro clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Salem County towns
Compare them side by side in the Salem County table.
Building a coop in Township of Elsinboro?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across SalemCounty 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.