Can you keep chickens in Hardyston Township, NJ?
In Hardyston, the zoning code allows poultry only where it's incidental to an actual agricultural operation, not as a standalone backyard use. Widely-circulated "six hens" figures for Hardyston appear online but are not in the town's adopted code.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Not specified in the code |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified |
| Coop setback | Not specified in the code |
| Lot size | Tied to qualifying as a major agricultural activity |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Hardyston's Animals chapter covers only dogs, cats, and wildlife feeding; it has no poultry provision.
- A "six hens, 20-ft setback" rule circulates online for Hardyston but could not be found in the adopted code (it matches another town's ordinance). Confirm current rules with the township.
What about ducks?
Only as part of a real farm. Hardyston bars poultry and fowl except where incidental to an agricultural operation, and ducks fall under that same rule.
§ 185-50B: "No pigs, poultry or fowl shall be permitted except where incidental to the major agricultural activity." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Hardyston Township?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Sussex 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 Sussex County towns
Compare them side by side in the Sussex 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.