Best breeds for the city? (pick more than 1)+ what have you kept?

[americana-chick]

I think either Salmon Faverolles, EEs, Orpingtons, or Cochins would be the best.

 

[Turkenlover]

Buff Orpingtons are nice, but I love my Turkens too!!!

 

[Whitewater]

We have 2 Australorps and a Black Star sex link, all 18 weeks old (as of today, actually) and have had them for almost a month -- the 15th will be 4 weeks exactly. We live in an urban area with a lot that is .13 acres, and we're separated from our neighbors by just a chain link fence, nothing else.

None of our neighbors can hear our chickens when they're just doing their chicken thing, clucking to each other or making that 'Pip!' alarm sound, or even scuffling over a choice bit of food. In fact, one of the neighbors from 3 houses down just came over today and was surprised to hear that we'd had the birds for almost a month, she never heard them at all, even when the brats were shrieking about something scary coming near the coop (like, my husband, or myself!)

The neighbors directly next to us can hear the birds IF the birds are being exceptionally loud AND the neighbors are in their backyards at the time. They cannot hear the birds from inside their homes. Even my husband and myself can't hear the birds when they're in the coop/run doing their bird thing, and we're only about 30ish feet away, with open windows. I figure that's quiet enough

Most of the time, particularly during the summer, there is just too much other noise -- like lawnmowers, car stereos, and shrieking packs of 9 year old children playing in the alley, not to mention radios, sirens, or dogs -- for our hens to even get heard over everything else.

Also, our birds really are quiet, unless one of us approaches their coop, they just don't make noise, ever. They may mutter to each other, but that's it! No shrieking, no bawking, no hooting or crowing or any other loud noise. Just the occasional quiet cluck. All bets are off if they see a threat, but even then, they just do this sort of strangled, drawn-out hooting. They're so quiet I tend to forget they're out there, when I'm inside working or whatever.

I think we got lucky because the flock of chickens that ours grew up with were free-ranged on a hobby farm well outside any city limits and they learned from their elders -- there is absolutely no reason to make a lot of noise. The flock that taught our hens how to be chickens was so quiet they didn't even sing egg songs! I know this because one of their adult Australorps hopped in the nest box to lay an egg while we were there and there wasn't a peep out of her. Or from the other 3 or so hens that were laying at approximately the same time.

I hope ours *stay* quiet like this -- they haven't started laying eggs yet! We'll see what happens when we get that first egg.

(sorry for bringing this post back, but I really wanted to share our experience, limited though it may be)


Whitewater

 

[pdsavage]

Sussex my favorite breed so much so thats all I have now,so I say get the speckled Sussex.
All the EEs I hve had where flighty.

 

[Paaz1120]

I would Say Silkies! They are quiet, fancy, they cant fly, they are fluffy with their plumage. and so on.
I love all chickens but Silkies!

Maybe even a Modern Game Bantam. But I REALLY think Silkies!

Good Luck!

 

[GardeNerd]

Thanks for the input! I count suburbs as the city too, because anywhere folks live in a subdivision close to neighbors, they need less noisy breeds of chickens. I referred to the poll about 6 weeks ago before I ordered day old chicks for my broody hen to foster. We picked Bantam Cochins since that is what 4-H recommends kids start out with, and my son wanted to do a lot of the care.

I have yet one more neighbor thinking of chickens. However, she would be an outlaw. Her lot is pretty filled up with a big house and so is the one behind her. She won't be able to place a coop in the anywhere in the yard and still follow the city code minimum distance requirements to dwellings. She is really going to need a quiet breed if she does get chickens. They have yet to decide. I had an Australorp last year. She was a serious talker, just behind my leghorn. The Australorp down the street is loud until she gets her way and is let out or the run. But they are generally gorgeous, friendly, and good layers. I would have an Australorp again.

Keep the additional comment and votes coming in please!

 

[bantam0907]

I live in the city and the absolute best chickens are silkies! they're quiet and adorable! very winter hardy and they dont need alot of space! And the neighbors absolutly LOVE them!and their especially good with kids. They are not good though if your getting birds for egg production... my hen lays about three eggs a week and they are very small because silkies are bantams...

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

My vote is for Buff Orpingtons. We live in a neighborhood and have a pretty large lot. All of our girls have been pretty quiet so far. We have 2 buffs, 2 sussys and a wyandotte. My buffs think they are lapdogs. I know that's not the criteria that you're looking for but they are so affectionate. I always joke that my one buff has chronic fatigue syndrome because when I go out and sit with them she is on my lap and asleep in no time.

 

[cposz]

We have 2 RSL hens and 1 Buff Orpington hen, and a couple of Black Australorp chicks. They all seem to be liking the city just fine!