MARYLAND THREAD!

[FirewifeJess]

Hello everyone, I'm currently in WA but we've come across a job opportunity that might move us to Columbia MD. Does anyone have links that can help me figure out local statutes for keeping chickens? I have 16 right now on our half acre and we are allowed roosters and pretty much have no regulations at all, so I'm apprehensive about moving somewhere strict. We'd like acreage or a farm of sorts, nothing in a tract of homes. Can anyone help me?

 

[chateau poulet]

Columbia is just outside of Montgomery County. If you might live inside the border of Montgomery, I can give you info about the new code in progress...

 

[FirewifeJess]

Columbia is just outside of Montgomery County. If you might live inside the border of Montgomery, I can give you info about the new code in progress...

I'll take it! We will likely live where there's the fewest animal regulations.

 

[SunnySkies]

MD is so small you can live almost anywhere and commute to Columbia. We live in Mt. Airy and drive regularly to our old home in Lothian (hopefully it sells soon) and to Landover three times a week, driving through Columbia. Those drives, barring rotten traffic (we do have horrible traffic here), take me just over an hour. I work in Upper Marlboro and it takes me 1.5 hours on Saturday to get there. Hubby works in Adelphi, and it takes him more time in the rush hour though, even though it's just 37 miles from here..

ETA: acreage can be a pest. I looked for a year to buy this place. It's expensive. Start browsing Redfin or Zillow.

 

[britanniahens]

Hi everyone,

I live on a 1/4 acre in PG County in MD with my partner, a dog, 2 cats, a hedgehog, and 2 beehives. We were planning on getting half a dozen hens for the backyard (and ordered them!) but found out about PG's blanket ban on backyard chickens on residentially zoned properties.

We're ****** to say the least. We have neighbors that would totally be in favor, and I might be tempted to risk it, but my partner just won't risk getting in trouble.

I know about the PGhens.org campaign, but does anyone else have any suggestions? Any experiences? Has anyone applied for a special exception to the zoning and been successful?

Thanks!

 

[Anna Lee]

Hello everyone, I'm currently in WA but we've come across a job opportunity that might move us to Columbia MD. Does anyone have links that can help me figure out local statutes for keeping chickens? I have 16 right now on our half acre and we are allowed roosters and pretty much have no regulations at all, so I'm apprehensive about moving somewhere strict. We'd like acreage or a farm of sorts, nothing in a tract of homes. Can anyone help me?

Columbia is a great place to live but not if you want to keep chickens. I had to wait until we moved to rural Western Howard County (10 minutes from Columbia ) to get our flock. Someone on Backyard Chickens researched the rules for this county and posted links that you will find if you Google "chickens Howard County Maryland". There are a lot of places you could live that would be a feasible commute to Columbia but keep in mind that like Sunny Skies said land is expensive here and traffic can make a commute of 25 miles take an hour or more. Also if you are looking for a realtor I would highly recommend the Jean Legal team (legal homes.com) They helped us both buy and sell and were fantastic.

 

[sezjasper]

Carroll County is also close to Columbia and is chicken-friendly, except you want to stay away from the subdivisions with HOAs. Where I live, the county allows chickens but not the HOA. I'm flying under the radar...and with five more chicks in the brooder right now, I'm tempting fate

Luckily my neighbor is cool with it...and I know there's at least one other family in the neighborhood who has chickens, too. But save yourself the headache and find a home where it's not so restrictive! Good luck!

 

[FirewifeJess]

Thanks everyone. This all makes me very nervous. I'm a backyard homesteader at heart and if I can't get a couple acres and as many animals as I want this move is not going to work out. I guess that will have to be a contingency of relocating.

 

[webpony]

I am in Harford county and commute to that area by car about 50-60 minutes. I have 20 chicks in 3.5 acre yard. No Home Owners association. one rule is coop has to be 25 feet from prop line.

Anyone one know any other rules for HARCO?

 

[Funky Feathers]

Cute, cute, cute.

Do any of you have Blue Swedish ducks? It appears we have 2 boys. I wanted some duck eggs for baking, and I love this breed. I could do ducklings or hatch eggs. I don't try with shipped eggs though; I can't get them to hatch. But I travel most of the state and can probably meet you somewhere to pick up eggs.

Don't want to order hatchery ducklings, even though the parents of the ones I have originated at Murray McMurray.

There are 2 ppl on eBay selling Blue Swedish eggs, and one person on BYC. Let me know if you want links to them.