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

Chapter 57 of the Howell Township Code treats poultry as livestock. Section 57-3 defines livestock to cover all horses, ponies, donkeys, mules, pigs, hogs, cattle, goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas and camels, along with all chickens, ducks, geese, guinea hens, peacocks, turkeys, emus, rheas and all other poultry and fowl, plus all other animals traditionally raised for food, fiber, fur or production means. Section 57-7(A) then bars any person owning, keeping or harboring a pet or livestock from letting it run at large on public streets, parks, public buildings or any other public place unaccompanied by its owner or the owner's representative.

Zoning adds the distance rule. In R-2 and R-3, § 188-70(B)(1)(b) permits agriculture and horticulture, but buildings housing livestock must be set back at least 75 feet from all property lines. Section 188-73.1(B)(3) repeats the same 75-foot rule in the R-25 Zone. The ARE zones list agricultural and horticulture as a permitted principal use in § 188-69(B)(1)(a), and the right-to-farm ordinance in § 244-1(A) covers fowl production and says livestock fencing needs no permits or fees.

Commercial-scale flocks face a disposal rule. Section 57-1 requires every farm, dressing plant and dealer holding poultry over 12 hours with 100 or more head of poultry or 100 or more other fowl to build a disposal pit at least six feet long, six feet wide and six feet deep, or at least 218 cubic feet, with a flytight cover of permanent metal or concrete, no closer than 10 feet to any boundary, water supply or stream. Under § 57-2, birds that die of natural causes, ill health or disease go into the pit within 24 hours. Chapter 157 repeats the pit rule and prints a 50-foot distance in § 157-2, and § 157-4 lets the Board of Health suspend the requirements temporarily.