Can you keep chickens in Borough of Ship Bottom, NJ?
Unclear. The Ship Bottom code has no rule on chickens or poultry, but its zoning prohibits every use it does not expressly permit, and residential accessory uses do not include animals.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Unclear |
| Hens | Not specified |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Not specified |
| Coop setback | Not specified |
| Lot size | Not specified |
Good to know
- Title 6 (Animals) covers only dogs and cats.
- Chapter 8.20 (Nuisances) adopts the 1953 state Public Health Nuisance Code by reference; its local additions do not mention poultry.
- Noise rules bar any animal that habitually cries or otherwise disturbs the peace.
- R-1 accessory uses are pools, sheds, boats, garages, fences, home occupations, signs and dish antennas.
Source: Borough of Ship Bottom Code (eCode360), § 16.12.050, Prohibited uses; § 16.24.010, R-1 Single-Family Residential District; Title 6, Animals (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Ship Bottom clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Ocean County towns
Compare them side by side in the Ocean County table.
BarnegatBarnegat LightBay HeadBeach HavenBeachwoodBerkeleyBrickEagleswoodHarvey CedarsIsland HeightsJacksonLaceyLakehurstLakewoodLavalletteLittle Egg HarborLong BeachManchesterMantolokingOcean (Ocean County)Ocean GatePine BeachPlumstedPoint PleasantPoint Pleasant BeachSeaside HeightsSeaside ParkSouth Toms RiverStaffordSurf CityToms RiverTuckerton
Building a coop in Borough of Ship Bottom?
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.