Filed under: Baltimore Agriculture, News, Raising Chickens in Baltimore | Tags: Baltimore Agriculture, Baltimore Chicken Farming, Baltimore Chickens, Raising Chickens in Baltimore, Urban Egg Farming
Raising Chickens In Baltimore City
There is an increasing interest in chicken keeping in Baltimore. To help would-be city chicken keepers, below are some basic do’s and don’t, rules for chicken keeping from the Baltimore City Health Department and a video to give you a visual of an urban chicken farmer.
Why Keep Chickens?
Eggs are a great source of fresh homegrown food. Fresh backyard eggs are likely to be the best you have ever tasted. Chickens also provide great fertilizer, they eat pesky insects and are relatively easy animals to maintain. In addition to being a great resource for sustainable living, chickens are great companions and generally gentle pets.
Baltimore City Rules For Chicken Keeping
Authority: Baltimore City Health Code, Title 2, § 2-106; Title 10, Subtitles 1 and 3.
1. No person may own, keep, or harbor any chickens without:
a. obtaining a permit from the Bureau of Animal Control; and
b. registering with the Maryland Department of Agriculture, Domestic Poultry and
Exotic Bird Registration Division.
2. No more than 4 chickens over the age of 1 month may be kept.
3. All chickens must be confined at all times to a movable pen.
a. No pen may be closer than 25 feet to any residence.
b. Each pen must be kept clean, free of all odors and materials that can attract
c. Each pen must be moved frequently to minimize turf destruction and the build up
of manure borne pathogens such as coccidiosis and roundworms.
d. Pens with feed boxes and nest boxes must allow 2 square feet per hen.
4. The chickens must be provided with shade during warm weather.
5. Potable water and proper feed must be made available.
6. All chickens must be provided with access to a well-constructed shelter that provides
suitable protection from inclement weather.
7. All chickens must be afforded veterinary care if they are known or suspected to be sick or injured.
8. Roosters Are Prohibited
Things To Consider Before Purchasing Chickens
You are not permitted to keep roosters in Baltimore City. The absence of a feathery morning alarm clock may ease neighbor’s concerns about noise. However, without a rooster, your chickens will produce eggs, but the eggs will be infertile. Chickens produce eggs regularly and “discard” them in the same way that women ovulate, but infertile eggs will not hatch chicks. So, abandon any dreams (or fears) of a chicken hatchery.
Chickens will make some clucking noises from time to time and their pens will smell if they are not cleaned regularly. It will likely be impossible to keep your chickens a secret from your neighbors, so bribe neighbors with fresh eggs and reassure them about the noise and smell.
Like all pets, chickens will require shelter, health care and you will have to care for them every day, no matter how busy you are. Make sure you have a neighbor who is willing to help out when you are away. In addition, you may want to contact the Herring Run Watershed Center. They have had a few classes on chicken farming and they may be able to connect you with fellow chicken farmers in Baltimore.
Being an urban chicken farmer requires you to keep your pens especially tidy. The general rule of thumb with city chicken keeping is, “If you can smell it, your neighbors can too”. To ensure cleanliness, your coops will require constant attention. Also, the chickens must be properly contained. Nothing will anger your neighbors faster that a chicken climbing on their new car -and YES, they can fly.
Filed under: Events, Green Health Care | Tags: Greening Hospitals, Health Care, University of Maryland School of Nursing
A National Conference for Health Care Professionals in Baltimore
Maryland Hospitals for a Healthy Environment and the University of Maryland School of Nursing present: Greening Maryland Hospitals
Friday, November 6, 2009
7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
University of Maryland School of Nursing
Join regional and national health care professionals, environmental industry experts, and educators for this learning and networking event whose purpose is to create a healthier and more sustainable environment for hospital staff, patients, and communities. Topics will include purchasing environmentally preferable materials, taking action to reduce the impact of climate change, developing and implementing an integrated waste management program, and purchasing and promoting sustainable foods.
Critical Pathways to Sustainability in Health Care: Kaiser Permanente’s Blueprint for Success
Kathy Gerwig, MBA, Vice President, Workplace Safety and Environmental Stewardship Officer, Kaiser Permanente
Fee: $55 per person
Location: University of Maryland School of Nursing
655 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
For more information, CLICK HERE.
Filed under: News, Nuclear Energy | Tags: Calvert Cliffs, Constellation Energy, Governor Martin O'Malley, Maryland Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Renaissance
O’Malley Supports Constellation Deal
Governor Martin O’Malley Is Supporting A Constellation Deal That Could Lead To A Nuclear Renaissance In Maryland.
Much debate has surrounded the approval of a joint venture between Baltimore-based Constellation Energy and the French owned company Electricite de France. Today it was announced that O’Mallery supports the deal, but wants something in exchange for his approval; a one time credit for all BGE customers that may total more than $200 per household. The payoff to customers could come just in time for O’Malley’s re-election next year.
For more information from an article in the Baltimore Sun, CLICK HERE.
Filed under: Green Business, News | Tags: B2B Green, Baltimore Green Business, Mid-Atlantic Green Business Forum
B2B Green Forum, October 26th at the Baltimore Engineer’s Club
Filed under: Green Business, News | Tags: CNN Top 10 Places To Launch a Business, Maryland Small Business, Start a Business in Baltimore
CNN Puts Baltimore In Top 10 Metro Areas To Launch A Small Business.
Baltidome supports small business because they are generally greener than their corporate counterparts. Besides being more environmentally friendly, there are numerous reasons that small businesses are good for communities:
The Small Business Administration says small businesses:
-create 1/2 of the U.S. economy.
-pay more than 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.
-have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.
-create innovation that protects the environment.
-have owners that live, work, and play where their businesses are located.
The Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance says:
-Nonprofits receive an average 350% more support from local business owners than they do from non-locally owned businesses.
-When you support small businesses, you support your city.
-Small businesses are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.
Now may be the time for you to start a small business.
In addition to location, affordability, neighborhood revitalization projects, and creative professionals (touted by CNN as Baltimore’s assets), Maryland has some great resources to help you get started. For more information on these resources, CLICK HERE to get started on your small business today.
Filed under: Events, Nuclear Energy | Tags: Calvert Cliffs, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Renaissance, Panel Discussion, UMBC
“Should a 3rd Nuclear Reactor Be Built at Calvert Cliffs?’
Calvert Cliffs 3 Debate/Panel Discussion, UMBC, Library Gallery, 4:00 p.m., Thursday, October 22, 2009:
- Moderator: Dr. Stephen F. Barker, Chair of the Friends of the Library & Gallery Council
- JOHANNA NEUMANN, State Director for Maryland PIRG, a statewide nonprofit nonpartisan consumer advocacy group.
- J. SCOTT PETERSON, Nuclear Energy Institute’s Vice President of Communications.
- A reception will follow this event, thanks to the Libby Kuhn Memorial Endowment.
- The context for this event:
The Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant, which is owned & operated by Constellation Energy, has two 2700 MW nuclear reactors. In 2000, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) extended the facility’s license for 20 years. In 2005, Unistar Nuclear Energy, jointly owned by Constellation and Electricite de France announced that it will build a third reactor (US-Evolutionary Power Reactor). The third reactor would help address the need for more baseload, generating power in the Mid-Atlantic region. The NRC confirmed its acceptance for technical review in June, 2008. Opponents and supporters of the proposed third reactor at Calvert Cliffs have been involved in a series of public hearings before officials of the NRC. A decision by Constellation to start construction is expected by the end of 2009.
For more information about the event, CLICK HERE.