Baltimore County residents fight to own chickens

By Mary-Ellen Davis
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer

For some residents in Baltimore County, having the opportunity to raise chickens in their backyard would be like a dream come true. Yet, current zoning laws are keeping homeowners and chickens from coexisting.

Under the Baltimore County Zoning Law, homeowners must have a minimum of one acre to own and raise chickens on their property. If this requirement is met, there is no limit on the number of chickens a resident can own.

“I’d like to see hens allowed in Baltimore County backyards in under an acre,” said Jennifer Standorf, an administrator for the Facebook page: “Chicken Revolution-Baltimore County.” “I’d like to see this acre zoning changed.”

To Standorf, the zoning law is antiquated.

“While there are properties in the county that are at least an acre, a lot of people do not have an acre,” she said.

Chickens are sustainable and educational, said Standorf. They can help to bring neighbors together, and can serve to provide healthy food to those who own them, she explained.

“Most people think hens cannot have eggs without a rooster, a lot of people think brown eggs are healthier, and more people would benefit by seeing where their food comes from,” Standorf said. “Food education is important, and along with gardens, backyard chickens can offer this. People tend to appreciate their food more if they grow it, or raise it, or meet it, or even name it.”

County Councilman David Marks, a Perry Hall Republican, supports the idea – to a certain extent.

“I believe that, under certain circumstances, the law should be relaxed to encourage more organic farming,” Marks told The Baltimore Watchdog.

However, Marks said that relaxing the law would have to come with an increase in code inspectors who “already have a lot of complaints to deal with.” He explained that the extra inspectors would ensure that the chickens are kept appropriately.

“I am concerned that we may have a proliferation of backyard chickens in places where they are inappropriate, such as dense town-home communities,” Marks said.

“Chicken Revolution-Baltimore County” is not the only group that supports the efforts to change the zoning laws. Janesse Wannall, the creator of the page “change the zoning law in Baltimore Co. for chickens and small livestock,” said that there are other benefits to having chickens in the backyard.

“They’re also very good for gardens,” Wannall said. “They provide manure for fertilizer. They aerate the ground by their digging and pecking. They eat pests and just are pretty good. They’re also a very good security system because if something comes into the yard they’re going to let you know.”

However, not everyone is keen on the idea of having chickens in their neighborhood. Resident Corey Henry said that the chickens could be troublesome.

“They’re loud, stink, and foxes always eat them,” said Henry, stressing his strong concern for foxes who tend to eat small animals.

“Anyone I know that has them, foxes are there,” Henry said.

Even with the lukewarm support of Marks, Standorf said the County Council has been one of the limiting factors in the change of regulations.

“Public county meetings have been overwhelmingly in favor of chickens in terms of citizen support, petitions have been written, letters have been sent, smaller luncheon meetings have been held,” Standorf said. “The whole ordeal has felt like we’ve been ‘tolerated’ then brushed aside.”