BYC members in Massachusetts?

[cd2675]

Hi! I'm in Marlborough and am trying to learn more about keeping chickens. I saw that in 2012 one poster said as long as they have cute names and are pets, they are allowed, but is there any additional info that anyone can give or advice on how to approach the neighbors?

 

[jetdog]

Neighbors don't matter check the city ordnance if they even allow them, if they do don't get any roosters and you'll have happy neighbors.

 

[cd2675]

Well, that's the thing. There is nothing on my city website ordinances and I was wondering if anyone knew of any updated ones since 2012 when there was a posting on it here. I'm still easily 6 months out from it so I guess I have time to call City Hall and will have to do that unless someone here knows the answer.

 

[jetdog]

I would call just to be safe. Don't want to go through the effort of everything and have to get rid of them.

 

[GardenerGal]

You can call your town's dog/animal control officer. They would know. The state agriculture department requires that each municipality keep a "barn book" which is a census of all livestock and poultry in the town/city limits. Technically, all households or businesses with even one chicken, or duck, or whatever, must have an annual inspection and give the officer a headcount of what you have. That info is sent to MDAR, which in turn might share it with the USDA.

 

[PatQ]

I"m in Hudson - here we can have as many chickens as we want, but no roosters. No other rules. I've seen people with chickens in Marlborough, but don't know anyone specifically - Just give a call to city hall and ask what the chicken laws are - For me I think it was the Dept. of Health - good luck.
Nice to meet someone that lives right next door

 

[PatQ]

The state agriculture department requires that each municipality keep a "barn book" which is a census of all livestock and poultry in the town/city limits. Technically, all households or businesses with even one chicken, or duck, or whatever, must have an annual inspection and give the officer a headcount of what you have. That info is sent to MDAR, which in turn might share it with the USDA.

Hmmm - I never heard of this? I'm in Hudson - I called the Town Hall and asked the appropriate person who emailed me the town animal ordinances - he didn't even ask who I was or how many chickens I had or anything.

 

[GardenerGal]

Hmmm - I never heard of this? I'm in Hudson - I called the Town Hall and asked the appropriate person who emailed me the town animal ordinances - he didn't even ask who I was or how many chickens I had or anything.

PatQ,
Typical of bureaucracy, the left hand often doesn't know what the right hand is doing in city and town governments. lol
I'm in Salem, and the animal control officer told me he's required to keep a barn book. Annually, he e-mails me and I send him a list of what I have, and when he has time he drops by to inspect my barn. Then I get a copy of the slip he sends to the MDAR. Very official form that the state sends to the municipalities.

 

[PatQ]

Yep - sounds like no one knows what they are doing - haha.
The man I spoke with was the head of the Board of Health and he just said each city/town has it's own poultry regulations - never mentioned anything else, so as far as I know - no one other than my friends and neighbors know I have chickens...hmm.
he sent me an email saying "Here is the regulation on keeping of animals in Hudson. Please let me know if you have any questions."
and included the Board of health animal regulations - this is all it said about poultry....

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[GardenerGal]

So you can have gobbling turkeys, braying donkies, bleating goats, quacky ducks and honking geese, but nooooo roosters.