No persons shall own, keep, harbor or maintain any chicken within
Bordentown Township without first applying for and obtaining an annual
license from the Township of Bordentown. The application shall be
made on forms provided by the Township Clerk and shall contain a certification
by the applicant that the requirements and conditions established
in this article will be met by the applicant. Said license shall be
expire on the last day of March following the issuance of the initial
license, and shall be renewed no later than April 30. The licensee
must be the owner in fee of the property. No person renting or leasing
a property may be issued a license. Licenses shall not be issued for
vacant properties.
The keeping of chickens shall only be permitted on property
which conforms to all of the following criteria:
A. The principal use of the property
is residential; and
B. The residence is a detached,
single-family dwelling unit; and
C. The keeping of chickens on such
property will be fully compliant with all of the conditions set forth
within this article.
This article shall not apply to qualified farms in zones where
farming is permitted, and where such farm has a minimum of five contiguous
acres.
Following application by a person for an initial license for
the keeping of chickens, and before the issuance of a license by the
Township Clerk, the Zoning Officer shall inspect the premises where
chickens are to be kept in order to ensure compliance with the conditions
of this article. In the event that the Zoning Officer finds the premises
do not meet the conditions established in this article, they shall
notify the property owner. The property owner shall not be issued
a license until the violations are corrected.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The fee for the first issuance and any subsequent renewal of an annual license to keep chickens shall be in the amount set forth in Chapter
260, Fee Schedule, of the Code of the Township of Bordentown. The fee for late license renewals after April 30 shall be in the amount set forth in Chapter
260, Fee Schedule. The fee shall cover administrative expenses for the inspection and regulation of the keeping of chickens.
For applicable properties, the keeping of chickens is hereby
authorized and shall be licensed only under the following conditions:
A. Minimum lot size to keep chickens:
A minimum lot size of 1/3 acre (14,520 square feet) is required.
B. Number of allowable chickens.
No more than four chickens shall be permitted on any lot less than
or equal to 1/2 acre (21,780 square feet) in area. No more than six
chickens shall be permitted on any lot more than 1/2 acre or less
than or equal to two acres (87,120 square feet) in area. For lots
greater than two acres in area, up to 12 chickens shall be permitted.
C. Roosters and cockerels prohibited.
The keeping of roosters (mature male chickens) and cockerels (young
male chickens) is prohibited on the licensed property, even for the
purpose of fertilization.
D. Slaughtering. The slaughtering
of chickens on the premises is prohibited.
E. Shelters required. Chickens shall
be provided with a fully enclosed shelter (coop) and may be provided
with a run (fenced enclosure), conforming to:
(1) Shelters and runs shall be
in the rear yard only.
(2) Shelters and runs shall be
located a minimum of 10 feet from any property line and a minimum
of 25 feet for any residential dwelling, both on and off premises.
(3) The maximum permitted area
of any shelter is 80 square feet. The total area of a shelter and
any attached run shall not exceed 150 square feet.
(4) The maximum permitted height
of a chicken shelter shall be six feet.
(5) Chickens may roam outside
the shelter and run areas in a back yard which is completely enclosed
with a fence for no more than two hours per day, provided that a resident,
of at least 18 years of age, is present the entire time.
(6) The shelter must be appropriately
sized for the number of chickens, and shall be kept dry and well-ventilated
with provisions to admit sunlight into the structure. The shelter
must be predator-proof. The structure and exterior of the shelter
shall be maintained in good repair and shall reflect a level of care
and maintenance consistent with the surrounding neighborhood.
F. Storage of waste; odor. Storage
of manure, excreta, and other waste substances shall be located at
least 25 feet from any lot line and at least 50 feet from any residential
dwelling, both on and off premises. If stored on the premises, it
must be properly composted per USDA guidelines, or stored in a properly
sealed, watertight container for disposal off site. There shall be
no perceptible odor emanating from the shelter, run, yard, or waste
storage.
G. Storage of feed. Animal feed
stored outdoors shall be kept in sealed containers with tightly fitting
lids.
H. No running at large. No person
shall permit, suffer, or allow, whether intentional or not, a chicken
to run at a large in the side or front yard of the property, or upon
any public street or property, or any neighboring property.
I. No disturbing the peace. No chicken
shall be allowed to disturb the peace or quiet of the neighborhood
by creating a noise across a residential property line continually
for more than 10 minutes or intermittently for more than 30 minutes.
However, if chickens create noise by being provoked by neighboring
animals, it shall be the responsibility of the owner of the chickens
to provide a suitable location for the shelter, run, or roaming area
so as to avoid creating noise. The owner of any legal, licensed animal
on an adjacent property shall in no way be held responsible for noise
created by chickens.
J. Selling of eggs prohibited. No
eggs produced by the chickens shall be sold, nor shall any advertisement
or solicitation be permitted.
Following reasonable notice by the Township, a licensee shall
permit the Township Animal Control Officer (ACO), or other enforcement
official, to inspect the premises where chickens are kept in order
to ensure compliance with this article. Inspections may be routine,
or for the specific purpose of investigating a complaint regarding
the keeping of chickens. When an enforcement official is refused entry
or access, or is otherwise impeded by the owner from conducting an
inspection, the owner shall be in violation of this article and subject
to revocation of the license and penalties as set forth herein.