I have a rooster that looks like the birds you guys have posted. He was out of a straight run batch from the local feed store. He was pretty- yellow with pretty brown markings and my daughter wanted him. We had gone to get some pullets. Anyway, I don't really know for sure what kind he is...
I think silkies make a great backyard breed. The hens are generally pretty quiet. They're not very big, and they can't fly so they won't go anywhere. They are not great layers though- usually 2-3 eggs a week. The best docile laying hens we have are turkens and they're not that loud but...