Can you keep chickens in Township of West Orange, NJ?
West Orange permits up to 3 fowl per acre with a Health Department license, and any coop must sit at least 50 feet from both the house and every lot line. A few pet birds, 3 or fewer, don't need a license.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | 3 fowl per acre |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required (Health Department; 3 or fewer pet birds exempt) |
| Coop setback | 50 ft from the main building and from every lot line |
| Lot size | No minimum stated (density capped at 3 fowl per acre) |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- Keeping 3 or fewer birds as pets is exempt from the license (§ 10-12.2).
- Facilities must be rat-proofed and kept clean and sanitary.
- The 2-acre minimum applies to larger livestock, not to fowl.
What about ducks?
Yes, with a license. West Orange's rule covers all animals and birds kept on a property, so ducks fall under the same 3-fowl-per-acre limit, license and 50-foot coop setbacks.
§§ 10-12.1, 10-12.3, 10-12.4: "If fowl are to be maintained upon any premises, there shall be a limit of three fowl per acre of land." Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of West Orange?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Essex 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 Essex County towns
Compare them side by side in the Essex 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.