Can you keep chickens in Township of Washington, NJ?
Washington Township (Bergen County) allows backyard hens only with a Board of Health permit and strict siting, at least 50 feet off every property line. Roosters are banned.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | No stated limit (density capped at 1 bird per 3 sq ft of coop floor) |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required (Board of Health license) |
| Coop setback | 50 ft from property lines; 50 ft from dwellings; 200 ft from food establishments |
| Lot size | Not specified |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- A Board of Health license is required before keeping any live poultry, even non-commercially.
- Poultry must be confined in coops and runs; none may run at large.
- This is the Township of Washington in Bergen County.
What about ducks?
Yes, with a permit. Washington Township's poultry definition includes ducks, so ducks need the same Board of Health permit and the same 50-foot coop setback as hens.
§§ 373-2, 373-86, 373-87: "POULTRY Includes chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, pigeons, pheasants and all other fowl or winged animal" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Washington?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Bergen 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 Bergen County towns
Compare them side by side in the Bergen 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.