Can you keep chickens in Township of Ocean, NJ?
Ocean Township (Oakhurst) allows fowl, including chickens and even roosters, if they have a proper coop and it sits at least 50 feet from every property line and 100 feet from any dwelling on the lot.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No numerical limit stated |
| Roosters | Permitted ("cocks" are within the fowl definition; no rooster ban) |
| Permit | No mandatory permit; an owner may request a $5 building-official compliance inspection |
| Coop setback | No coop or pen within 50 ft of any property line or 100 ft of any dwelling on the lot |
| Lot size | No stated minimum, though the setbacks effectively require a large lot |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Fowl are defined broadly (chickens, hens, ducks, turkeys, cocks, pheasants, and barnyard birds).
- A fully enclosed coop of standard design is required.
- This is the Monmouth County Ocean Township (Oakhurst), not Ocean County, Ocean City, or Ocean Gate.
What about ducks?
Ducks are treated like chickens. Ocean Township puts ducks in the same Class IV fowl group, which needs a proper shelter and coop at least 50 feet from property lines and 100 feet from the house.
§§ 95-2D, 95-4D, 95-8: "Class IV: Fowl, including but not limited to chickens, hens, ducks, turkeys, cocks, pheasants or barnyard-type birds raised for meat or otherwise." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Ocean?
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.