Can you keep chickens in Township of Scotch Plains, NJ?
Scotch Plains lets you keep up to 6 hens (no roosters) with an annual health license and a zoning permit, in a rear-yard coop.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 6 |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required ($100 annual Health Department license plus a $75 zoning permit; survey required) |
| Coop setback | Rear yard only, within the zone's building setbacks or 20 ft, whichever is greater |
| Lot size | Not specified |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- Coop and run capped at 100 sq ft; birds must be confined, no free-ranging or open pens.
- Coop must be predator- and rodent-proof; manure kept in covered metal containers.
- Added by ordinance in 2018.
What about ducks?
Scotch Plains' rule covers only chickens (hens), up to six with a license and zoning permit. The code does not mention ducks or define poultry, so confirm with the township before keeping ducks.
§ 5-10; § 23-3.5: "For purposes of this section the term "hen" shall mean a female chicken. The term "chicken" shall not include rooster(s)." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Scotch Plains?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Union 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 Union County towns
Compare them side by side in the Union 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.