Can you keep chickens in Township of West Caldwell, NJ?
Yes. You can keep up to 4 chickens without a permit and up to 6 fowl with a $10 Board of Health permit, and roosters are not allowed.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 4 without a permit; fowl capped at 6 |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Required for more than 4: $10 Board of Health permit |
| Coop setback | 50 ft from neighboring doors or windows; 10 ft from neighboring property lines |
| Lot size | No minimum stated |
Good to know
- Birds must stay outdoors in an enclosure whose location and size the Health Officer approves.
- Fowl can't be kept in a house, store or any building people occupy, and can't fly at large.
- Coops must have a floor that is impervious to moisture and follow the township construction codes.
- A wire porch on the coop is allowed if it's at least 1 ft off the ground and extends no more than 4 ft.
Source: Township of West Caldwell Code (eCode360), Chapter BH3, Animals (§§ BH3-3.1 to BH3-3.5) (view the ordinance)
Verified 2026-09. Ordinances change and zoning can differ by district; always confirm the current rules with the Township of West Caldwell clerk or zoning office before you build.
Chicken rules in nearby Essex County towns
Building a coop in Township of West Caldwell?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across EssexCounty 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.
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.