Can you keep chickens in Borough of Swedesboro, NJ?
Yes, on lots of at least a quarter acre with a $25 yearly license. The cap is 4 to 8 hens depending on lot size.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | 4 hens (1/4 acre), 6 (up to 1 acre), 8 (over 1 acre) |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required: $25 annual license |
| Coop setback | Rear yard; 15 ft from any property line; 30 ft from neighbors' windows and doors |
| Lot size | Min. 1/4 acre |
| Rule adopted | Sept 2021 |
Good to know
- Allowed in all residential zones; the zoning officer confirms lot size before a license is issued.
- Applicants must certify no deed restriction bars chickens and submit a drawing of the coop location.
- Coops max 128 sq. ft. and 8 ft tall; runs need a 6-ft fence.
- No slaughter on site and no selling of eggs.
Source: Borough of Swedesboro Code (eCode360), Ch. 89, Art. VI, §§ 89-39 to 89-46, Keeping of Backyard Chicken Hens; § 140-7D (fee) (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Borough of Swedesboro clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Gloucester County towns
Compare them side by side in the Gloucester County table.
ClaytonDeptfordEast GreenwichElkFranklin (Gloucester)GlassboroGreenwich Township (Gloucester)Harrison Township (Gloucester)LoganMantuaMonroe Township (Gloucester)National ParkNewfieldPaulsboroPitmanSouth HarrisonWashington Township (Gloucester)WenonahWest DeptfordWestvilleWoodburyWoodbury HeightsWoolwich
Building a coop in Borough of Swedesboro?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across GloucesterCounty 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.