MARYLAND THREAD!

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Hi Everyone!

Myself and my family have just moved to Maryland. Prior to, we lived in West Chester / Chester County, PA. Found we just loved spending our weekends here, so bit the bullet, escaped that rat race and made Maryland our new home. We are LOVING it!

We are thinking of getting a few chicks, as I think it would be a great experience for the kids, and having a supply of fresh eggs is great!

I do have a few questions though.... so if anyone lives in my area, and wouldn't mind meeting / talking with me for a little bit, or just anyone on this Maryland thread (I figure the local peeps can answer my questions better being from the same area). I am in a dinky little town outside of Chestertown, Kent County, MD. Here are my questions:

1) Am I even allowed to have say about 5 or 6 chickens? I can hear a rooster crowing somewhere in the area.... so I am assuming so.
2) Am I allowed a rooster? I love to hear a rooster crow - just not sure how happy neighbors would be.
3) If I were to get some chicks in say...... October...... when would they be able to safely be outside (I would make a small coop for them)
4) Is there any place local to go and purchase chicks, as opposed to ordering?

When I was younger my grandparents had chickens. They would get the eggs, and I would go over and watch them hatch, then help move them outside when they were old enough into the 'chickie pen' - on weekends I loved spending the night so that I could gather eggs in the morning - these are to this day some of my fondest memories from when I was young, I want to share that with my kids.

Looking forward to - and thanking everyone in advance for any and all replies!
Any and all advise is greatly appreciated!
 
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Hi Everyone!

Myself and my family have just moved to Maryland. Prior to, we lived in West Chester / Chester County, PA. Found we just loved spending our weekends here, so bit the bullet, escaped that rat race and made Maryland our new home. We are LOVING it!

We are thinking of getting a few chicks, as I think it would be a great experience for the kids, and having a supply of fresh eggs is great!

I do have a few questions though.... so if anyone lives in my area, and wouldn't mind meeting / talking with me for a little bit, or just anyone on this Maryland thread (I figure the local peeps can answer my questions better being from the same area). I am in a dinky little town outside of Chestertown, Kent County, MD. Here are my questions:

1) Am I even allowed to have say about 5 or 6 chickens? I can hear a rooster crowing somewhere in the area.... so I am assuming so.
2) Am I allowed a rooster? I love to hear a rooster crow - just not sure how happy neighbors would be.
3) If I were to get some chicks in say...... October...... when would they be able to safely be outside (I would make a small coop for them)
4) Is there any place local to go and purchase chicks, as opposed to ordering?

When I was younger my grandparents had chickens. They would get the eggs, and I would go over and watch them hatch, then help move them outside when they were old enough into the 'chickie pen' - on weekends I loved spending the night so that I could gather eggs in the morning - these are to this day some of my fondest memories from when I was young, I want to share that with my kids.

Looking forward to - and thanking everyone in advance for any and all replies!
Any and all advise is greatly appreciated!
Hi and
welcome-byc.gif
 
MorniGlori, I'm outside Chestertown. I have a small flock of bantam chickens. Whether or not you can have a few chickens or a bunch/ with a rooster depends on your exact location. Where are you? I live 2 miles outside Chestertown in a zoned agricultural/farming area so having chickens is no problem. I asked the 2 closest neighbors if crowing, noisy chickens would bother them before I ever started - I didn't want them to have any complaints. I think being a bit courteous goes a long way! There's a link on this thread somewhere about the zoning laws regarding chickens but your best bet is to go to the closest court house and ask there. In some places, the coop has to be so and so distance from the street or nearest neighbor (something like that). It's better to know exactly what your county laws are before jumping in. Some places allow up to 5 or 6 hens but no rooster. Getting chicks in October is kind of tough. They'll be doing the growing through the winter and you need to keep them warm and well-protected for the first 3 or 4 months. Young chicks can't regulate their own body temps so you have to keep them warm - 95 degrees the first week of life, detract 5 degrees every week after. That means you need a heat lamp or brooder. A lot of people opt to buy older chicks in the fall, trios of 5 months old, etc. You may want to consider that. Hens usually start laying about the fifth month or so. Some are early. some right on time and they will always be a few late ones too! Sometimes you can't tell the sex of a chick until they start crowing! In this area, Kingstown Farm and Garden sells chicks in the spring. They sell the usual large breed (LF) kinds like Barred Rocks (BR), Rhode Island Red (RIR), Buff Orpingtons (BO) and they order the chicks from Ideal Hatchery. Check out the breeds section here on BYC. I don't know any other place to buy chicks unless you go to a swap or poultry show or buy on-line. If you look around the site, you can find info on all that stuff. Read everything you can on here - there's a wealth of good advice and tips. If you can't find answers I'll be glad to help but I'm no expert and I rely on this site a lot! Welcome to BYC and the eastern shore!
 
I'm in SoMD. St. Mary's County. Anyone else?

I am in Park Hall. So happy to meet someone close. What kinds of chickens do you raise. I have Orps, Marans, Olive Eggers, Silkies and some Sex Link hens. Just hatched a bunch of babies. Blue Black and Splash Orps, Cuckoo Marans, Polish, bantams, various others. And have Guniea's and Lavender and Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons in the incubator now. Love my chickens..............

Welcome!
 
Hi,

I am in a rural western Howard County, about 30 minutes from Baltimore and a little further to Washington, DC. After 20 years of wanting chickens, and reading up on them,and cross examining every chicken keeper I met, we finallly got some last June at the Maryland Poultry Swap. We have purebred Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas, a Golden Laced Wyandotte, and a Buff Orpington and are so pleased with them that we probably will go back to the next swap on Sept. 8. It is at Greenhill farm in Sharpsburg, MD and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to add to or start a flock especially if you are looking for types and ages and qualities of birds the feed stores don't carry.
 
Hi Anna Lee, thanks for mentioning the Poultry Swap...I wasn't aware of it, but just checked it out online and it looks like such a great time! My daughter and I plan to go. Hopefully I'll be employed by then...just got laid off last week, but I'm looking...anyway if I'm working again then I can spend some money lol Otherwise we'll just go and admire everyone's chickens!
 
Hi everyone! We live in Calvert County near Prince Frederick. We have 20 hens and no roosters. I have a broody chicken (Buff Minorca) that I would love to give fertilized eggs to. I was going to order some, but the shipping is as much as the eggs!! I know there is no guarantee that the eggs will hatch, so $40 seems like a lot (cheaper to get day old chicks). I would really like to give her chance to be a Mom though! Anyone out there have any fertilized eggs they would be willing to part with?
 
Another Calvert County here!
Up near Dunkirk.
Anyone looking for a trio of Royal Palm Turkeys? we have way too many. Hatchery Stock, good birds. I had to order a minimum.
They are 15 weeks old and ready to go to their new home.
Anyone going to the County Fairs or entering birds? St.M, Calvert, PG?
 

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