NJ chicken rules · Sussex County
Can you keep chickens in Township of Montague, NJ?
Montague allows hens and even a couple of roosters, scaled to your acreage, with a required township license. It's one of the few NJ towns that permits roosters at all.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | By lot size: 6 (under 1.5 ac), 12 (1.5 ac), 18 (2 ac), 24 (2.5 ac), 30 (3 ac), 60 (4 ac), 90 (4+ ac) |
| Roosters | Allowed and capped: 0 under 4 acres, 2 at 4 acres, 3 above 4 acres |
| Permit | Required (township license; renters need prior written owner consent) |
| Coop setback | No numeric setback; coops must be predator-proof and no more than 6 ft high without a permit |
| Lot size | No minimum; the smallest tier is under 1.5 acres for 6 birds |
Good to know
- Does not apply in the R-4 High Density Residential District; farmland-assessed property is exempt.
- The code states a neighbor's mere dislike of chickens or roosters is not a nuisance.
- Rapid flock die-offs must be reported to the zoning officer within 10 days.
Source: Township of Montague Code, Ch. 76 Art. XXVI (eCode360), §§ 76-113 to 76-118 — view the ordinance
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district — always confirm the current rules with the Township of Montague clerk or zoning office before you build.
Building a coop in Township of Montague?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across SussexCounty 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.