Can you keep chickens in Township of South Orange Village, NJ?
Yes, with a license. South Orange licenses backyard hens for single-family homes only, up to five hens, no roosters, and you need the written consent of every neighbor whose property touches yours.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 5 hens per license and per property |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required: license from the Village Health Officer, $20 one-time application fee, renewed annually |
| Coop setback | Coop and run in the rear yard only, at least 10 feet from the property line and 20 feet from a neighboring house unless that owner consents |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- Only residents of single family homes qualify; apartments, condominiums, co-ops and dormitories are excluded.
- Written consent from all contiguous property owners is required before a license is issued.
- Selling hens, chicks or eggs is prohibited, and so is slaughtering.
- The coop must be at least 2 square feet per bird with an attached run of at least 10 square feet per bird, and neither may exceed 6 feet in height.
- The application needs a property survey, a photo or diagram of the coop, and the hatchery's National Poultry Improvement Plan certificate.
What about ducks?
Unclear. South Orange licenses backyard chickens (hens only) and its code says nothing about keeping ducks; ask the Health Department first.
§ 68-32: "Residents shall be permitted to keep and maintain backyard chickens pursuant to the following requirements" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of South Orange Village?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Essex 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 Essex County towns
Compare them side by side in the Essex 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.