§ 245-119.3. Keeping or maintaining chickens.

Where expressly authorized by this chapter, chickens (excluding roosters or crowing hens), may be kept or maintained as an accessory use on properties upon which a single-family residence is located, which have a minimum lot size of 8,000 square feet, subject to the following requirements.

A. 

No person shall keep chickens within the Town without first obtaining a permit from the Town office. The property owner shall also register the chickens through the Maryland Poultry Premises Registration Program, with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, and shall provide the Town with a copy of such registration.

B. 

A maximum of five chickens are allowed on any one property.

C. 

All chickens shall be kept in the backyard only and in a secure enclosure or coop. The enclosure or coop shall be constructed, repaired and maintained in a manner that is free of all odors and to prevent rodents from being harbored underneath, within or within the walls of the enclosure. All coops or enclosures must comply with the applicable setbacks for accessory structures but in no case can be closer than 10 feet to a neighboring property line. Enclosures or coops shall not exceed six feet in height above grade and must allow for a footprint of at least two square foot per chicken housed in the coop or enclosure. The maximum total allowable footprint for an enclosure or coop is 40 feet.

D. 

All enclosures or coops shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition at all times and the owner of an enclosure shall as often as is necessary remove the accumulations of manure or other excreta in order to prevent the same from becoming a public nuisance.

E. 

All feed for animals shall be stored in predator-proof containers.

F. 

If at any time it appears that the keeping of any chicken creates a nuisance, the Town's designee may, whether or not a permit has been issued, order the owner to abate the nuisance and/or remove the chicken(s) from the Town of Federalsburg. If an owner fails to abate the nuisance and/or remove said chickens in the time provided in the notice, the Town's designee may summarily remove the chickens and abate said nuisance.

G. 

No person shall slaughter any chickens on the property.

H. 

Violations of the provisions of this chapter shall be punishable as a municipal infraction as provided in Chapter 1, Article I. Each day that a violation exists under this article shall constitute a separate offense.

Added 5-7-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-04