Can you keep chickens in Wantage Township, NJ?
In Wantage, keeping poultry is treated as agriculture: a permitted use only in the RE-5 district and only on a lot of at least 5 acres. There's no per-hen limit, but on a typical residential lot under 5 acres it isn't an as-of-right use.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No numeric limit ("poultry, no ratio") |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Must be in connection with agriculture; general zoning applies |
| Coop setback | Not specified (general farm/accessory-building setbacks apply) |
| Lot size | 5-acre minimum (agriculture / farm) |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- "Agriculture" here includes animal husbandry, whether for profit, private, or personal use.
- Commercial piggeries and animal-processing facilities are prohibited.
- On smaller residential lots poultry is not a listed permitted use. Confirm with the township before building.
What about ducks?
Unclear. Wantage treats poultry as agriculture in the RE-5 district but never defines poultry or mentions ducks, so ask the township.
Ch. 13, § 13-5.1(b): "poultry, no ratio" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Wantage Township?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Sussex 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 Sussex County towns
Compare them side by side in the Sussex 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.