Can you keep chickens in Howell Township, NJ?
Yes. Howell permits agriculture, including keeping chickens (defined as livestock), as a principal use in its residential zones. There's no hen limit in the code, but any building housing livestock must sit at least 75 feet from all property lines.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No numeric limit |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified (permitted use; structures need zoning approval) |
| Coop setback | 75 ft from all property lines (livestock buildings, R-2/R-3 zones) |
| Lot size | No explicit minimum for a few birds, but the 75-ft setback is limiting |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Chickens are defined as 'livestock' in the township code.
- Setbacks may differ by zone; a tax-qualified farm is 5+ acres.
What about ducks?
Ducks are treated like chickens. Howell counts ducks as livestock, and livestock may be kept as agriculture in the R-2 and R-3 zones with any building housing them set back at least 75 feet from all property lines.
§ 57-3; § 188-70: "all chickens, ducks, geese, guinea hens, peacocks, turkeys, emus, rheas, and all other poultry and fowl" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Howell Township?
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.
Chicken rules in nearby Monmouth County towns
Compare them side by side in the Monmouth 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.