Can you keep chickens in Borough of Frenchtown, NJ?
Only on larger lots. Frenchtown's zoning treats poultry husbandry as agriculture, which it limits to farms of at least 5 acres, and any poultry shelter must sit at least 100 ft from every property line.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit (farm use on 5+ acres) |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified |
| Coop setback | 100 ft from any property line |
| Lot size | Min. 5 acres (farm use) |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- The only listed exceptions to the 5-acre farm rule are crops and greenhouses, up to two horses on 3+ acres, and 4-H or student livestock projects on 3+ acres. Chickens are not among them.
- The code defines agriculture to include poultry husbandry and buildings for keeping poultry.
- Code searches for chickens and fowl return nothing; there is no separate backyard chicken ordinance.
What about ducks?
Unclear. Frenchtown treats poultry as agriculture on 5-acre farms with 100-foot shelter setbacks, but never defines poultry or mentions ducks, so check with the borough.
§ 50-301E(3); § 50-301P: "No poultry or livestock shelter (excluding dog runs or other shelters for household pets) shall be erected, used or located closer than 100 feet to any property line." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Borough of Frenchtown?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Hunterdon 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 Hunterdon County towns
Compare them side by side in the Hunterdon 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.