NJ chicken rules · Mercer County
Can you keep chickens in Township of Hamilton, NJ?
Hamilton lets you keep poultry, but a coop or pen can't sit within 100 feet of any door or window of a dwelling, and a real per-bird allowance (100 fowl per 1/4 acre) exists only in the rural RRC zone, so a normal suburban lot is tightly constrained.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No set count on a typical lot; the RRC rural zone allows up to 100 fowl per 1/4 acre |
| Roosters | Not addressed |
| Permit | None required by the animal code |
| Coop setback | No coop or pen within 100 ft of any door or window of a dwelling; in the RRC zone, 200 ft from every property line |
| Lot size | No general minimum; RRC density is measured per 1/4 acre |
Good to know
- The animals chapter is otherwise a dog/cat code; its only poultry rule is the 100-ft setback and sanitation clause.
- The 100-fowl-per-quarter-acre figure is a zoning agriculture provision for the RRC zone, not a small-lot backyard right.
- This is Hamilton Township in Mercer County (08609), not Hamilton Township in Atlantic County.
Source: Township of Hamilton (Mercer Co.) Code, Ch. 108 Animals & Zoning (eCode360), § 108-5; Zoning Art. III, RRC Zone — view the ordinance
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district — always confirm the current rules with the Township of Hamilton clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Township of Hamilton?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across MercerCounty 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.
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.