raising chickens in edgewater md which is aacounty

[mstewart1959]

i have 19 thousand square feet of property and have 10 chickens and one rooster. i think my nieghbor complained because my rooster cock a doodles dos all the time. i got issued a letter from the county saying i have to remove all my chickens. which my chickens live in my garage and have a some room to run and play outside. during the day. i recently lost 5 chickens to a fox. so i keep them locked up in a safe place at night. any one know my rights, if annapolis md can have chickens why cant i i live on a deade end street surrounded by woods. please help
thank you
also needing to find a good home for my roo he's a sweetheart
martha

 

[mstewart1959]

Someone please. Help

 

[pipemum]

Well, if I'm doing math decently, you live on a just under 1/2 acre? With other neighbors nearby? That's awfully close to other houses to have a rooster crowing all of the time. Call the county or look up your county zoning codes. You may be able to have hens but not roosters. Good luck, hope you can keep your chickens.

 

[mstewart1959]

roosters are not allowed but hens it has to be an acre which i just dont understand, annapolis can have chickens baltimore can have chickens but not edgewater,

 

[buttonhead]

Hi Martha,

I pulled some information out of the code for your county. Your neighbor is within their rights to complain about the rooster. However, I think that the chickens might be okay.

§ 12-4-904. Animal disturbance prohibited.

A person who owns, keeps, or has possession of an animal may not permit the animal to disturb the quiet of a person or the neighborhood.
(1985 Code, Art. 12, § 9-104) (Bill No. 41-01)

So as far as that goes, I think your rooster definitely would fit into this category. I also live on approximately half an acre (although I live in Caroline County which is more rural) and even I'm ready to strangle my rooster when he starts crowing.
Here is where it gets a little complicated:
http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway....0$vid=amlegal:annearundelco_md$anc=0-0-0-4213

§ 18-4-104. Pets; livestock or fowl.

(a) Pets. The keeping of pets for other than commercial purposes is allowed. (....)
(2) The number of domestic fowl kept on a lot may not exceed a ratio of one bird unit per 40,000 square feet. A bird unit is defined as follows:

32 chickens

= 1 bird unit
16 ducks

= 1 bird unit
8 turkeys

= 1 bird unit
8 geese

= 1 bird unit
1 ostrich

= 1 bird unit
2 emus

= 1 bird unit
Other fowl, 100 pounds

= 1 bird unit​

(3) Combinations of animals are allowed if the allowed ratio of animal units to square footage is maintained.
(4) All livestock and fowl shall be kept within a fenced area.
(5) Accessory structures relating to livestock or fowl and manure storage shall be located at least 50 feet from side and rear lot lines.

I think I would ask them if I could have some clarification. According to these guidelines, you might be able to have 16-ish chickens on a 20,000 sf lot. It isn't clear to me whether you can just keep fewer chickens on a smaller lot or if you are prohibited from having them altogether unless you have at least 40,000 sf.

Also, the law states that they have to be kept in a fenced area... I didn't get from your post that your yard was fenced?
On the chickens in Annapolis issue, here is the article on that: http://annapolis.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/city-council-votes-in-favor-of-chickens
If you lived in Annapolis, you could have at most five chickens AND approval from your neighbors before you would be able to get a permit.

Contact Code Enforcement for your county at (410) 222-7780 and ask them for clarification. If the county code says that you can't have chickens on under 40,000 sf of property, contact your county representatives and see if you can get the law changed: http://www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/index.cfm#.UdxVVDv2aik