Can you keep chickens in Township of West Amwell, NJ?
West Amwell declares farming, including keeping fowl, a permitted use in every zone, as long as the birds are kept confined and any intensive fowl operation meets the township's standards.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes |
| Hens | No backyard cap (large-scale "intensive fowl" use is separately regulated) |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | No poultry-specific permit (zoning permit applies to uses generally) |
| Coop setback | Not specified for ordinary keeping; intensive fowl use has separate standards |
| Lot size | No hard minimum for keeping fowl |
| Ducks | Not addressed in the code |
Good to know
- The right to farm is declared a permitted use in all zones, including use of range for fowl.
- Chickens and fowl may not stray or run at large in the township.
- This is West Amwell, distinct from East Amwell.
What about ducks?
Unclear. West Amwell protects farming, including keeping fowl, in every zone, but never defines fowl or mentions ducks, so check with the township.
§ 109-64A; § 75-11: "The grazing of animals and use of range for fowl, subject to the standards and regulations for intensive fowl and livestock use." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of West Amwell?
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.