Can you keep chickens in West Milford Township, NJ?
Yes. West Milford allows up to 12 hens on properties under an acre, with a required zoning permit. Roosters are prohibited, hens must be contained in a rear-yard coop, and larger lots (1+ acre) are governed by farm zoning.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Up to 12 hens (lots under 1 acre) |
| Roosters | Prohibited |
| Permit | Zoning permit required |
| Coop setback | Rear yard; side/rear zoning setbacks; manure 10 ft from lines |
| Lot size | This rule is for lots under 1 acre; 1+ acre falls under farm zoning |
| Ducks | Allowed with conditions |
Good to know
- Only female chickens ('hens') are permitted under an acre.
- Hens must be contained, with no free-roaming; feed kept in tight containers.
- The hen limit was raised from 6 to 12 in 2021.
What about ducks?
West Milford defines fowl to include ducks, and poultry and fowl need a lot of at least one acre, with no more than 32 birds per acre. The small-lot allowance of up to 12 birds on lots under an acre is for chicken hens only.
§ 420-6; § 500-90B(3); Ch. 71 Art VI: "One acre for the keeping of poultry and fowl, except as provided in Subsection B(5) of this section, except that there shall be allowed a maximum amount of 12 chicken hens allowed on lots of less than one acre." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in West Milford Township?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Passaic 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 Passaic County towns
Compare them side by side in the Passaic 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.