Making a true backyard chicken?

[Nyowpotopop]

So I have been wondering this for a while. Has anyone tried to make a true "backyard" chicken for urban chicken keepers? For people actually keeping in a back yard?

And I am not talking about you lucky folks with "only" 3 acres to raise chickens on... I'm talking about us poor city saps who have to make due with 1/2 acre tops, normally much less and have regulations and nosy neighbors 20 feet away across our driveway to deal with.

The concept would be a sort of multi-purpose chicken with a heavier focus on eggs (since most people can't keep roos for meat breeding but may process extra birds)... A breed that is docile and QUIET, hardy, and confines well for good city living. Also I'd love to see a fair size difference between hens and roos since most people will be processing their roos and getting eggs from their hens.

Would anybody be interested in making a bird like this? Has anybody tried this yet... And if not; why not?

 

[canesisters]

Tons of folks!
As a wild guess, I'd say that probably 1/2 to 2/3 of the people on here have back yard coops - 'real backyard coops'.
I happen to have about 20acres (almost entirely pines and briers) but my entire chicken 'operation' happens inside my fenced in back yard which is roughly 150'x150'. The hens have an 8'x8'coop and - when it's finished - a 28'x28' run.

 

[sourland]

There are already any number of breeds that would meet these criteria. It would be kind of like recreating the wheel.

 

[Nyowpotopop]

Sourland - I asked for quiet breeds of chickens in another thread and was told to not get chickens and forget about it! (Rather discouraging for a site called "backyard chickens!") I think quiet is the #1 thing any breed that fits the rest of these things is missing...

Cane most people I know would love to have a 150'X150' operation. Personally I am moving to 1/4 acre and due to regulations if I want to do the ducks and rabbits I want to do someday I will only have enough space for around 5'X10' run.... Almost the size of your entire COOP. I don't think that's a fair comparison at all saying your chickens are actually backyard... Heck my whole backyard will be about 40' by 80'! That's less than half yours...

 

[hdowden]

most of the breeds i have are quite all day (except for the roosters of course but with temps in the 100's they aren't crowing as much

and im trying to keep them cool with ice water since they don't like to be misted) the only time they make any noise is when something startles them and they go into alert mood and alert everyone else around of the danger.

 

[4hchickmama]

Well roosters are going to be roosters. I don't think there is a way to make a rooster that doesn't crow. My hens are all moderately quiet. I have a silkie, a sizzle, an orpington, and a plymouth rock...and some young chicks. Other than the "hey world!!! I laid an egg" song, they are all pretty quiet. They don't make much noise during the day at all. Usually if they do make noise, it is because there is something like a hawk, they are hungry, or they are out of water.

There are breeds that are pretty chatty, but there are a lot of breeds that are pretty quiet.

 

[hdowden]

hmmm i have a polish 4 d'uccle pullets, 2 silkie/d'uccle mixes, and my parents house yokohama, sumatra, fbcm, and many more and i have never heard them load unless they are startled by something...i have actually never heard any of my pullets really make a sound unless they were like right by my ear they are so quite

 

[Nyowpotopop]

I have heard the exact opposite thing about all the breeds just listed from people too. People who have orps that scream at all hours and silkies that make a lot of noise (not to mention silkies are not good layer/meat birds)... So currently there is no one breed that's quiet. It's only individuals who are.

 

[theoldchick]

That's exactly it. You can find individuals who are quiet. However, if moved to another area they may no longer be silent.

 

[Nyowpotopop]

Right, so I figure... Why can't there be a whole breed bred soly tobe quiet? We breed other animals to be quiet (like dogs) and eventually by breeding the quieter individuals you could likely end up with a quiet breed of chicken that meets the needs of an urban chicken keeper. You may even get roosters less inclined to crow or with quieter voices.