Can you keep chickens in Borough of Washington, NJ?
Washington Borough allows hens (no roosters) on 1-to-4-family residential lots with a license, a waste-management plan, and zoning approval, capped at 6 birds on lots up to 2.99 acres.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 6 poultry on lots up to 2.99 acres; 4 per acre on 3.0–3.99 acres |
| Roosters | Prohibited (poultry is defined to exclude males) |
| Permit | Required (Borough Clerk license + filed waste-management plan + zoning approval; $15/year) |
| Coop setback | Poultry enclosure at least 30 ft from any dwelling on another property |
| Lot size | No minimum to keep poultry (1-to-4-family residential lots only); other farm animals need 4+ acres |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Enclosure sizing at least 3 sq ft per chicken; free-ranging only inside a 4-ft fence, otherwise a predator-proof run of 10 sq ft per bird.
- Slaughter of any regulated animal is prohibited.
- Not allowed on multifamily, commercial, or public property. This is the Borough, distinct from Washington Township.
What about ducks?
Yes, with a license. Washington Borough's poultry definition includes ducks, so ducks follow the same rules as hens, with at least 6 square feet of coop space per duck.
§§ 35A-1, 35A-2, 35A-4: "POULTRY Domestic fowl, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, and specifically excluding males or roosters, and guinea fowl." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Borough of Washington?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Warren 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 Warren County towns
Compare them side by side in the Warren 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.