Freehold, NJ Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Monmouth County's rural-to-urban gradient produces widely different livestock rules. Western agricultural towns — Upper Freehold Township, Millstone, Colts Neck, Holmdel, Manalapan — permit backyard chickens (typically 4 to 6 hens, no roosters) with coop setbacks of 25 to 50 feet from property lines. Roosters are prohibited in residential zones countywide due to noise. Shore municipalities (Asbury Park, Long Branch, Bradley Beach, Belmar, Sea Bright) and dense boroughs (Red Bank, Eatontown, Neptune) prohibit all backyard poultry outside agricultural zones. NJ Right to Farm Act (N.J.S.A. 4:1C-1) protects commercial agricultural operations on preserved farmland — Monmouth has significant preserved farmland in its western half. The NJ Department of Agriculture regulates poultry health under N.J.S.A. 4:5. County and municipal boards of health oversee sanitary conditions. Horses are permitted in Upper Freehold, Colts Neck, and Middletown equestrian zones with minimum acreage (typically 2 to 3 acres for first horse). Goats and pigs face stricter density limits.