Can you keep chickens in Borough of Freehold, NJ?

The rules at a glance

Good to know

• The six-hen cap applies per building or residential lot, no matter how many units are on it.
• Applicants must show proof of a backyard chicken course; two-family and multifamily homes need consent from all residents, and condos or rentals need the landlord or association's consent.
• No egg sales, breeding or slaughter on the property; hens must stay in an enclosure (5 sq ft per bird) and a locked henhouse at night (3 sq ft per bird).
• Violations carry fines up to $1,250 per offense, and the Board of Health can order the birds and coop removed.
• The zoning code says any use not listed for a zone is prohibited, and the residential lists do not mention chickens; the Board of Health permit is the specific rule.

What about ducks?

Unclear. Freehold Borough's hen rules cover only chickens, and the code only says fowl kept within 10 feet of a house need a Board of Health permit. Ask the Board of Health before getting ducks.

§ 8.56.280(C)(3), (D): "No person shall keep or allow to be kept in any dwelling house or any part thereof nor in any enclosure within ten (10) feet of any dwelling house any horses, cattle, swine, goats or fowls without a permit" Duck coops we build.

Building a coop in Borough of Freehold?

Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Monmouth 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.