Can you keep chickens in Township of Union, NJ?
Yes, with a zoning permit. Union Township (Hunterdon) allows up to 6 chickens on lots up to 1 acre, 10 on lots of 1 to 3 acres and 15 on lots of 3 to 5 acres, with no roosters under 5 acres; larger lots may keep up to 50 per acre.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | 6 (up to 1 acre), 10 (1-3 acres), 15 (3-5 acres); 50 per acre on 5+ acres |
| Roosters | Prohibited on residential lots under 5 acres |
| Permit | Zoning permit required (survey showing the coop) |
| Coop setback | Rear yard, inside the building envelope; at least 25 ft from any neighbor's house and closer to your house than theirs |
| Lot size | No minimum |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- Coop at least 2 sq ft per bird plus a run of 4 sq ft per bird.
- The zoning officer may inspect, and violations can revoke the permit.
- Commercial farms operate under the Right to Farm Act instead.
What about ducks?
Union Township's backyard rules name only chickens (up to 6 on a lot of one acre or less, with a zoning permit). The code does not define poultry or livestock or say how ducks are counted, so check with the zoning officer.
§ 30-5.5(d); § 30-2: "(d) Chickens. The keeping of chickens shall be limited to 50 chickens per acre on lots of five or more acres. Chickens may be kept and maintained on residential lots of less than five acres, provided a zoning permit is first obtained" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Union?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Hunterdon 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 Hunterdon County towns
Compare them side by side in the Hunterdon 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.