Quiet/docile Long Term Layers

[jbpoole]

I live in a southern suburban neighborhood with a HOA, so I don't want to draw attention to my backyard. I have been researching chicken breeds for quite some time. A beekeeper once told me that if you ask 10 different beekeepers the same question, you will get 11 different answers. My chicken breed research has yielded similar results.

Here are my goals:

I'd like about 7 hens.
Absolutely no roosters. Even 1 rooster would be a big problem.
The hens would need to be very quiet and docile.
Egg production and feed consumption are not major issues.
Darker colored birds are preferable.

I was thinking sex-links, but it's my understanding that they have health problems as they age and the rate of lay dwindles rapidly. Some say to replace them every two years, which is not acceptable, if that is true.

What are the best breeds for accurate sexing, are quiet/docile and have good longevity for egg laying?

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

Hmm. I would say Orpington but they can be a bit noisy. Silkies would be ideal but they don’t lay many eggs. A lot of quiet docile birds don’t lay a lot of eggs. A lot of docile birds that lay a lot of eggs are noisy.

 

[jbpoole]

Thanks for the reply. Hoping others will chime in...

 

[jbpoole]

Still hoping for more information...

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

Still hoping for more information...

I think a silkie would be best for you situation. They may not lay the most eggs but they are very friendly birds that look adorable and are pretty quiet.

 

[Kaesi2020]

My buff orpingtons are quiet, gentle and friendly (so far, only 11 weeks old). They are good egg layers. Beautiful birds, too.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

My buff orpingtons are quiet, gentle and friendly (so far, only 11 weeks old). They are good egg layers. Beautiful birds, too.

My buff Orpington is the loudest thing this side of the universe

 

[Kaesi2020]

My buff Orpington is the loudest thing this side of the universe

LOL. I may have lucked out with the noise level with mine then. They are super quiet and laid back compared to my EE's.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

LOL. I may have lucked out with the noise level with mine then. They are super quiet and laid back compared to my EE's.

My EEs are keeping her craziness in check. We have opposite chickens.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I was thinking sex-links, but it's my understanding that they have health problems as they age and the rate of lay dwindles rapidly. Some say to replace them every two years, which is not acceptable, if that is true.

Just for the record, I had a sex link that was 9 and still laid rarely her last year. But she did make a lot of noise when she talked