Can you keep chickens in Township of Woodbridge, NJ?
Woodbridge bars chickens on residential property by default, but the Health Department can grant a discretionary special permit after an inspection finds the site suitable.
The rules at a glance
| Chickens allowed | Yes, with conditions |
| Hens | Not specified |
| Roosters | Not specified |
| Permit | Required (discretionary special permit from Health & Human Services, $75/year, after inspection) |
| Coop setback | Coop at least 10 ft from any property line, rear yard only, no more than 6 ft high and 20 sq ft |
| Lot size | No minimum; suitability decided by inspection |
| Ducks | Same rules as chickens |
Good to know
- The default rule prohibits keeping chickens and similar fowl on residential premises without the permit.
- The permit is renewed annually and is revocable.
- Current as of a 2025 amendment.
What about ducks?
Not by default. Woodbridge's residential ban names ducks along with chickens, so ducks need the same discretionary special permit from the Health Department.
§ 11-8.1: "No person shall maintain, keep or harbor on any interior or exterior residential premises in the Township any cattle, rabbits, sheep, goats, ducks, swine, horses, chickens or similar nondomesticated animals or fowl" Duck coops we build.
Building a coop in Township of Woodbridge?
Triano Farms builds custom, predator-proof chicken coops on-site across Middlesex 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 Middlesex County towns
Compare them side by side in the Middlesex 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.