Help fighting Charles County md to keep well maintained backyard chicken coop in residential neighbo

[callywall]

By law the county allows 1 chicken per .5 acre. I had no idea there was a law and I have my chicken coop with chickens who are truly my pets and I'm extremely upset that i may have to get rid of them. I'm willing to get a lawyer. Can anyone provide any help or guidance. Is this a losing battle?

 

[FridayYet]

Hi Callywall, and welcome to BYC.

Unfortunately you often cannot have livestock prohibited by zoning ordinances. Changing the laws takes time, but sometimes you can apply for a waiver, depending on the laws where you live.

Are any of your chickens legal? I guess what I mean is do you have the 0.5 acre required for 1 chicken?

 

[christy7981]

This is not what it says... it states if you have less than two acres you can have 2 Chickens per acre. Or you have more than two acres you can have 4 Chickens per acre....

 

[christy7981]

So for me. I have three acres so I can have 12 chickens...

 

[centrarchid]

Ordinance appears to be one that imposes particular hardships on those with limited resources.

 

[christy7981]

My personal opinion is that the ordinance is very fair. I can have 12 Chickens on three acres and 3 large farm animals. Honestly I couldn't imagine living in a subdivision but if I did with yards so close I would hope that my neighbor was as OCD as me with their coops and power washed them twice a week, out fresh bedding with lavendar, rise petals, mint basil etc. Yeap I think its completely fair.

 

[centrarchid]

In some parts owning more than half an acre is beyond the means of many with fixed / minimum wage incomes.

 

[Yanipique]

By law the county allows 1 chicken per .5 acre. I had no idea there was a law and I have my chicken coop with chickens who are truly my pets and I'm extremely upset that i may have to get rid of them. I'm willing to get a lawyer. Can anyone provide any help or guidance. Is this a losing battle?

I would love to help in any way that I can. I have .5 acres and would love to have more than 2 chickens. My goal is to be more sustainable and this ordinance impedes that.