How to own more than 7 chickens?

[applelover]

I'm new to chicken stuff. It seems like most towns have a regulation that you can own upto 7 hens. But I'm wondering, what if I like chickens, have enough space at my house, and want more, how can I own more than 7 chickens?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately if there are rules on how many chickens you can have I would follow them. Otherwise you could get your chickens removed. If you want to keep more than move somewhere it isn't an issue and you can keep all you want.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Have to agree with old hen here, You do not say where you live or how land you have ?
have you read the ordinances for where you live?

 

[OldEnglishGameBantam33]

well...
Bantams count as half a chicken! (lol, just kidding)

 

[moniquem]

You should start with about 4, see how it goes. Hot summers, cold winters, predator proofing and finances can be challenging when keeping chickens. I got my first little flock of 4 this spring. We have survived the hot summer, no ones been picked off by a predator and now we are coming into winter so I'm gonna see how it all goes for a year. If after a whole year I still love it and all is well then I will add a few more chickens.

 

[Chick-N-Daddy]

Well, I'm probably wrong but a female chick isn't technically a hen until point of lay - it is a pullet, same way that a male chick isn't a rooster but a cockerel. So, 7 hens (i.e. @ point of lay) and as many chicks as you want. If you kept hatching and culling / consuming you could keep quite a few chickens, but only 7 hens.

Good luck with that, BTW!

Alternately, how about keeping a bunch of quail in the garage / basement / bathroom / closet / shed?

 

[rosemarythyme]

In many towns/cities, 3 is the max, so 7 isn't a bad number to be allowed to have. I happened to start with 3 and have 7 right now.

Generally restrictions loosen in unincoporated areas and with larger lot sizes, so if you're serious about having a big flock and would consider moving in the future, looking for areas with favorable zoning is the way to go. I only have county ordinances, and sit on acreage, so I have very little restriction when it comes to poultry/fowl.

 

[applelover]

I'm in massachusetts now, actually going to move soon, and was trying to see where was chicken-friendly. I was also considering moving out of state too. Any feedback on that would be appreciated.

Is there some way to just call myself a farm, but just an extremely small farm, so I could have more hens

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm in massachusetts now, actually going to move soon, and was trying to see where was chicken-friendly. I was also considering moving out of state too. Any feedback on that would be appreciated.

Is there some way to just call myself a farm, but just an extremely small farm, so I could have more hens

It doesn't matter if you call it a farm if you live in an area that's zoned residential only, it's residential. It does not change your zoning and you'd run into more problems trying to register as a business if that use is not allowed by zoning.

If animals (and lots of them) are a high priority for you, aim for a lot that's zoned agricultural, or rural, residential-agricultural, something like that. That should give you more freedom. If working with a realtor, do not take their word for it, check with the city/county to make absolutely sure that the lot you want is zoned for your needs AND that the zoning includes clear allowance for animals.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Where in Massachusetts are you? I am in Massachusetts too on the South Shore and a lot of towns here are right to farm towns with little or minimal restrictions as far as I know. You could always move here. that said, I haven't really looked into the rules in other towns besides my own so I'm not 100% sure there's no limit, I would look into it yourself, but I'm pretty sure. Although I've also heard some say that right to farm only applies to people with at least 5 acres and that make a certain amount of money each year from the farm but I am not sure if that is true or not. I don't think so but idk. It might be statewide. Some towns are using that to impose more restrictions I think. But anyway, the South Shore is a great place to live you could also move to New Hampshire. I think they are a little more relaxed there and no income tax or sales tax or really any tax except I think property but even that's cheap