Can you keep chickens in Borough of Ramsey, NJ?
Ramsey permits backyard fowl only in its R-1, R-2, and R-3 residential zones (meeting the R-1 minimum lot size), with a $30 Board of Health license. Flock size is capped by coop space rather than a set number, and roosters are prohibited.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Density-based (1 bird per 3 sq ft of coop floor) |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required ($30 Board of Health license) |
| Coop setback | 10 ft from property lines; 30 ft from dwellings; 200 ft from food establishments |
| Lot size | R-1, R-2, or R-3 zones; at least the R-1 minimum lot size |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Poultry is allowed only in the R-1, R-2, and R-3 zones (§ BH:5-3.1a).
- Coops need concrete floors, roosts and drop boards, and weekly droppings removal.
- Fowl may not run or fly at large, and roosters are prohibited.
What about ducks?
Yes, with a license. Ramsey's Board of Health code defines poultry to include ducks, so ducks follow the same zone limits, $30 license and coop-space rules as hens.
§ BH:1-2 (Poultry); §§ BH:5-3.1, BH:5-3.2: "POULTRY Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, pigeons and all other fowl commonly kept, raised and sold for" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Borough of Ramsey?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Bergen 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 Bergen County towns
Compare them side by side in the Bergen 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.