Can you keep chickens in Township of Stafford, NJ?
Yes, with registration. Stafford requires a $20 annual registration with Animal Control, allows hens only, and permits 12 birds on a lot of 0.20 to 0.25 acres and 20 on a lot of 0.26 to 0.50 acres.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 12 on 0.20 to 0.25 acres; up to 20 on 0.26 to 0.50 acres |
| Roosters | Prohibited on any residential property |
| Permit | Required: $20 annual registration with the Department of Animal Control |
| Coop setback | All structures and enclosures must be in the rear yard and suitably fenced |
| Lot size | Min. 0.20 acres |
| Rule adopted | Nov 2025 |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- Fowl are permitted only on properties containing a single-family home.
- An additional 20 fowl are allowed for each additional acre of lot area.
- Birds need 3 square feet of floor space each, or 200 square inches of cage floor, and 15 square feet of yard space if an outdoor yard is provided.
- Ordinance No. 2025-31, adopted 11-17-2025, reset the lot bands to 0.20 to 0.25 acres and 0.26 to 0.50 acres.
What about ducks?
Unclear. Stafford's registration rule covers chickens and other fowl, and its code defines fowl to include ducks, but the same section also says only female chickens are permitted. Ask Animal Control before getting ducks.
§ 60-1 (Fowl); § 60-31A and C(1): "FOWL A bird, including but not limited to ducks, geese or chickens. ... (1) Only female chickens are permitted. No roosters will be allowed on any residential property." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Stafford?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Ocean 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 Ocean County towns
Compare them side by side in the Ocean 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.