Hi Krawl, I am also from Maryland what part are you in? Maryland has some crazy rules when it comes to chickens. In Maryland you must register your chickens. So researching your area is important to know if you can have any chickens. How much ground you must have in order to have them as well as how many you can have, and if you can have Roosters or not. Parts of Maryland you need 1 acre in order to have chickens as in Baltimore County. But in like Baltimore City you can have up to 4 hens do not need a acre of ground. While people are asking the county government offices to relax and loosen similar rules not all counties have won here just yet. So the fight continues.
Baltimore County code says "A person may not house or maintain within a residential area less than 1 acre in size: Fowl, including chickens, ducks, and geese"
In Baltimore City, the code allows up to four chickens (no roosters) to be kept as long as they are confined to a movable pen that is kept 25 feet away from any residence.
Baltimore City code favors backyard chickens, and has very specific requirements for owners to follow. So there are some crazy rules we all have to follow.
I hope this gives you a little back ground in having Chickens in Maryland.