Can you keep chickens in Township of Little Egg Harbor, NJ?
Yes, with a township registration. You register with the Zoning Officer, pay $25 a year, and the number of hens you may keep runs from 3 on a half acre or less up to 25 on 3 acres or more.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | 3 to 25, based on lot size |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required: $25 annual registration, renewed yearly |
| Coop setback | 15 feet from adjoining property lines, rear yard only |
| Lot size | Min. 7,500 square feet |
Good to know
- Fowl means hens and ducks only. No other fowl, waterfowl or gamefowl.
- Not allowed in the R-50, WFD, PRD or commercial zones, or on any property abutting a waterway or lagoon.
- Only on a lot with a single-family home. No fowl on vacant lots.
- The Zoning Officer inspects the property before the registration is approved.
Source: Township of Little Egg Harbor Code (eCode360), Ch. 134, Art. III, §§ 134-16 to 134-22, Keeping or Raising of Fowl (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Township of Little Egg Harbor clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Ocean County towns
Building a coop in Township of Little Egg Harbor?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across OceanCounty 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.
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.