Breed Choice

[Hoover67]

Okay, my bees are doing well so I am adding chickens! I live in a neighborhood in the county with no restrictions that does have a non-funded homeowners association. No sheds, no chickens.... well most people have sheds and break several of the other lines of the covenant. I am going to go ahead and build a coop and get some chickens - hens only. I figure each of my six kids would love a new pet chicken each. With times as tight as they are, it would be nice to feed a pet the gives back more than love (not that that is not enough). Anyway, my question is what is the quietest, friendliest breed? I do have an incubator that we may start with. We have hatched eggs before and given the to farmers. Should have kept them. The kids got really attached to them!
Michele

 

[mmajw]

My Ameracuanas are really quiet and they give great blue and green eggs.

 

[fullhouse]

In my limited experience sussex are the quietest and also very docile.

 

[hcammack]

my amerucanas are quite when they aren't stressed. My favorolles are snuggle bugs but are also very loud

 

[Kanchii]

I'd say amerucanas. They come in crazy different colors and are big hearty birds who aren't loud, lay huge colored eggs, and are full of funny personality, very easy to make pets (the best way to their hearts is through their stomach!)

 

[okiehen]

Black Australorp's are very nice and lay great, calm and beautiful to look at.

 

[Iceblink]

My Barred Rock is my quietest, sweetest, and easiest to carry. My Buff Orpington is a close second, but boy is she proud of herself when she lays an egg. She sings to beat the band. During the rest of the day she is pretty quiet though.

 

[Davaroo]

In general, I'd recommend Australorps or Orpingtons.

There are NO guarantees with chickens; some quiet breeds have noisy individuals and some highly energetic breeds have docile specimens.

Much has to do with the particular strain within the breed itself.
Some strains are entitites unto themselves. And I have never seen any chickens which are dead quiet. They always make some noise.

If you will be having males in your flock, then plan on irritating someone on the HOA comittee

 

[AtRendeAcres]

BRAHMAS are the best to me!

 

[Hoover67]

Great. The local feed store currently has pullets: amerucanas, rock island reds and one other rock something. My other choice is to incubate eggs from a friend who has some orbingtons that would be mated with another breed of chicken. No roos for us! They will be located in the garden corner that has back yards for all of the other neighbors that are never out in the yard. There is also a drainage easement that puts them farther away. Of course, we always have neighborhood kids here so word will get out! Lets just hope we get no flack for this. If not the birds will have to go to a friends house as a back up plan! Surely the hens won't be much louder than the pidgeons that roost on my neighbors roof!