Can you keep chickens in Town of Kearny, NJ?
Kearny permits up to 4 hens (no roosters) on single or two-family lots with a $50 annual health license, in a rear-yard coop set back 10 feet from lot lines and 30 feet from a neighbor's building.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 4 |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required ($50/year Board of Health license) |
| Coop setback | 10 ft from property lines; 30 ft from an adjoining habitable building; rear yard only |
| Lot size | Single or two-family dwellings only (no minimum lot; coop capped at 60 sq ft) |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- Chickens must be confined and not free-range; the coop is predator-proof and enclosed by a 6-foot fence.
- No selling eggs to the public and no slaughtering.
- Droppings removed at least weekly and stored in rodent-proof containers.
What about ducks?
Unclear. Kearny's backyard rule defines chickens as female chickens only and the code never mentions ducks, so ask the town's health department.
§§ 9-14, 9-14.2: "As used in this section the term Chicken shall mean a female Chicken." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Town of Kearny?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Hudson 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 Hudson County towns
Compare them side by side in the Hudson 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.