MARYLAND THREAD!

[Thomas423]

Anne, I hope you can make the swap this year. It's been growing every year and getting more fun.. and we'd love to see you selling silkies

Erin, we are planning on coming. I may not have very many silkies, but hopefully I'll have lots of WCBlue Polish (LF), WCBlack Polish (LF) and Orpingtons in split lav/black and lavender.
Even if we don't have anything to sell, we will be there. It's been on my calendar for months.
BTW... last day to set eggs for swap is May 16 or 17. Also, my last day to hatch for the year

Last year I made the mistake of hatching late into summer and I had way too many youngsters over the winter.

 

[SunnySkies]

If anybody has a couple extra female ducks, my drakes would be happier.....and maybe stop chasing us people! I will drive almost anywhere in MD for them as long as they are female. CL has only ducklings.

 

[HaplessRunner]

Hi Marylanders!

I live on the border just across the Potomac River near Lovettsville, VA. A lot of my shopping (chicken and otherwise) is done in Maryland. I recently acquired some cream legbars from a MD breeder and some BBS ameraucanas from Whitmore Farms and I hope to visit the swap at Sharpsburg in June.

 

[chateau poulet]

http://www.mdpoultryswap.blogspot.com/
Here's the link to the swap. Looks fun!!
Saturday June 8th, 8am-2pm

 

[dutchbunny83]

Hi Marylanders!!!

I lived in Maryland my whole life, but my husband is in the Army so we've spent the past few years down in NC. I didn't start keeping chickens until we were down here, mostly because the time I was there I lived at home growing up or in a college dorm or apartment.

What are the regulations on keeping chickens up there?

I'm in the city limits of Fayetteville and we are allowed 10 poultry of any kind, including roosters. (Though I've about doubled that...)

LOVE to see so many people raising chickens!!!

 

[SunnySkies]

Regs depend on where you live. Some HOAs don't allow them. Some cities don't allow them. Some counties don't allow them. Some allow only hens. Some allow only 3-6. Others don't care. So it all depends on where you land in Maryland.

 

[wildflowerrun]

Regs depend on where you live. Some HOAs don't allow them. Some cities don't allow them. Some counties don't allow them. Some allow only hens. Some allow only 3-6. Others don't care. So it all depends on where you land in Maryland.

Second this. In Frederick county (outside of the cities/whatever-they're-called-s) you can't have any type or number of livestock if you aren't zoned for it or have at least 3+ acres without getting a special exception. I just went through the process myself. So far as I know, there's no limit as long as you follow the law, which has to do with distance from lot line, no crazy noise and no crazy smells.

 

[chateau poulet]

Regs depend on where you live. Some HOAs don't allow them. Some cities don't allow them. Some counties don't allow them. Some allow only hens. Some allow only 3-6. Others don't care. So it all depends on where you land in Maryland.

Could you make a quick list of the regs you're aware of? These are the ones I've heard:
- Poolesville allows any (they're exempt from county rules),
- Montgomery County allows any with setbacks 100 ft from home, 25 ft from prop line (new code in progress to allow smaller set-backs on residential lots).
- Rockville has banned all, I think.
It would be great to compile a list for new folks.

 

[SunnySkies]

I'll look back in this thread when I get a minute. I posted a whole bunch a few weeks ago.

I met some people recently who live in Frederick county but their HOA won't allow anything but a dog, a cat and a horse (how random is that?). Rabbits, pocket pets, fish, etc, are all banned by the HOA.

Don't live in an HOA if you can help it.

 

[SunnySkies]

Maryland chicken laws:

Anne Arundel County, MD. No livestock or domestic fowl on lots smaller than 40,000 sq ft.  Combinations of fowl must not exceed the ratio of 1 bird unit (= 32 chickens) per 40,000 sq ft. All fowl must be kept within a fenced area. Accessory structures for fowl and manure storage must be at least 50 ft. from side and rear lot lines.
Baltimore County, MD.  Must have 1 acre of land to have poultry.
Baltimore City, MD.  Up to four chickens can be kept (no roosters) as long as they are confined  to a moveable pen that is kept 25 feet away from all residences.
Baltimore City, MD.  You can have up to for hens, no roosters, must have a permit.
Prince George's County, MD.   Does not permit chickens to be kept in these residential zones: R-E, R-1, R-2, R-3.  As of Feb. 2012, there are plans to revise the zoning ordinance to permit a limited number of chickens in residential subdivisions.
Rockville, MD.  Chickens are not allowed; neither are ducks, goats, or anything
primarily kept on a farm.

I am sure this is not all inclusive, though, and it does not include HOAs that exclude chickens, like the one where we used to live in southern AA county. There may be other cities and towns that exclude chickens.

http://thecitychicken.com/chickenlaws.html Is the source.

ETA: they are not allowed in residential areas of Frederick the city or Brunswick, even though we have them out in the county of Frederick.
I cannot find any restrictions at all for Harford county. Maybe check with your city/town and county.

ETA2: it looks like there are no restrictions in St. Mary's county, but Charles seems to restrict to 1 bird per half acre. http://www.charlescounty.org/webdocs/pgm/publications/planning/zoning_ord 2008.pdf. Now I'm glad we didn't move there! We almost bought a place there...glad the seller was crazy and we escaped that contract. I'd be in huge trouble!

Calvert has lot size restrictions, but some dear friends of mine were successful in obtaining a special exception http://www.thebaynet.com/News/index...29393/comment_categoryID/29393-News/comment/Y. They live in a typical residential neighborhood in Huntingtown.

FYI on what I could find regarding chickens in MD. NOT all inclusive though. But if you scan this thread, just about every area is mentioned at least once.