Roosters Banned After Noise Complaints In Jersey Shore Town

BRICK, NJ — There was a time in Brick Township where the sound of a rooster crowing was a welcome start to the day, and a sign of a thriving poultry business.

That was decades ago, when the population was much smaller and homes were farther apart in the township, thanks to vast farmland.

Subscribe

In 2026, the sound of a rooster crowing has become a major reason people call town hall to complain, according to Business Administrator Joanne Bergin.

"It's the second-biggest complaint we get," Bergin said. "It's not just a wake-up call. They crow all day long."

That's why the Township Council has approved an ordinance that bans the ownership of roosters in the township.

The ordinance was introduced Sept. 22 and approved by a unanimous vote at the Oct. 13 council meeting.

The township has an ordinance that permits residents to own turkeys, chickens, quail, pheasants, ducks, geese, swans and peacocks that has been on the books since 2001. The ordinance limits the ownership to four of the birds unless they are contained in a shelter or coop of some kind, according to the ordinance.

"No more than four animals of Class IV shall be kept or maintained on any property unless they are contained in a covered enclosure within all zoning setback lines applicable for accessory uses with the size of the enclosure being adequate for the number of animals contained as may be approved by the Township Animal Control Officer," the ordinance reads.

Under the ordinance approved Oct. 13, roosters will no longer be included. People who currently have roosters will be allowed to keep them, but cannot add any new ones.

Brick Township once was home to the largest poultry farm in the state, according to Gene Donatiello, a Brick Township historian.

In the early part of the 20th century, Laurelton Farms was incubating 48,000 eggs at a time and supplying grocery stores in New York City, Donatiello said in a presentation on the township's history, as reported by Jersey Shore Online.

Back then, Brick's population was about 1,300 people, and the farm, owned by Park and Tilford Co., was a large employer in the town; it had 100 residents employed in 1912, according to the Brick Township Historical Society.

The farm was the inspiration for the naming of the Laurelton Circle, which existed where Routes 70, 88 and Princeton Avenue intersect, from the 1930s until the early 2000s when it was replaced by the interchange.

These days, the egg farms are long gone as the Garden State Parkway brought residential growth — the township now has nearly 77,000 residents according to the Census — and people in Brick own chickens for convenience of fresh eggs or as pets.

"We have two roosters across the street," a woman who lives on Michelle Place said, adding "they have two different decibels."

She responded to remarks that were dismissive of the issue saying, "It is it is funny until you're woken up at 5 o'clock in the morning and you hear them all day."

She thanked the council for approving the ordinance but said she hoped there could be more done.

"I'd like to see a little bit more on containing them because as far as I know the chickens, the ducks, the roosters are all supposed to be in enclosures. However, they free roam in the yards. Code enforcement can't do anything unless they're able to get onto the property," she said.