Ocean County municipalities generally prohibit backyard chickens in residential zones due to suburban density. Jackson and Manchester permit limited poultry on larger agricultural-zoned lots (5+ acres) with setbacks. Lakewood prohibits poultry in most residential districts. Toms River and Brick allow hens only on AG-zoned or large R-1 lots with board of health permits. Roosters are prohibited virtually everywhere in Ocean County.
Backyard poultry in Ocean County is regulated municipality-by-municipality under zoning and health codes. Toms River Code §348 restricts livestock to AG and R-200 zones with 5+ acre minimums; chickens in smaller residential lots require conditional use approval rarely granted. Brick Township (§245) prohibits chickens, ducks, and other poultry in R-5, R-7.5, R-10, and R-15 zones which cover most of the township. Jackson Township (§244) permits small flocks (up to 6 hens) on lots of 2 acres or more with coop setbacks of 50 feet from property lines and 100 feet from neighboring dwellings — no roosters. Manchester allows hobby farming in the ARC (Age Restricted Community) exclusion zones only. Lakewood Township (§18) generally prohibits poultry in residential zones, though religious exemptions may apply for Kapparot during Yom Kippur. Ocean County Board of Health requires coops to meet sanitation standards under N.J.A.C. 8:52. Agricultural use on farmland-assessed properties (under N.J.S.A. 54:4-23.1) has broader rights.
Unauthorized livestock: removal order plus $100 to $1,250 per day under N.J.S.A. 40:49-5. Nuisance conditions: Board of Health citation $250 to $1,000. Rooster violations: immediate removal. Sanitation failures: Ocean County Health Department enforcement.
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