Breed for New Chicken owner?

[maltodextrine]

I plan on getting chickens this coming spring. I am building a 9'x10'x8' run with a modified rabit hutch as a coup. I live in southern california and live in a condo with MANY neighbors. My back yard where the coup will be is ALL cement with a 10 foot wall of creeping fig on it.

I was wondering what breed might be good for a small coup, and not noisy, egg production is not very important but very interesting, I was thinking about brahma's ( standard or bantam??? where i'm ordering is only selling bantam to my knowledge )[www.mypetchicken.com] I also really really like cochins and silkies but I am afraid of them being really nasty and dirty ( I understand I can bather them and some do a good job of bathing themselves but at our local street fair the silkies in the petting zoo are disgusting... well the whole petting zoo is disgusting.) I'm torn between breeds and bantam or standard. Advice please?!

 

[ChooksChick]

Firstly, know that any breed you will get mustn't be kept on concrete without bedding. That being said, feather-footed birds are no dirtier than clean-footed birds, if the bedding is kept clean.

I vote you have no more than 4 birds, and I'd go with bantams if I were you. Also, I'd go with feather-footed, as they have less escapism due to the inability to fly. Many bantam breeds can gain a lot of height and make a break for it- which can be heartbreaking in a city, due to predators and vehicles.

Whatever you get, know that if you use flats people use to start seeds to grow greens and grass, you'll have a treat for them they'll adore!

 

[ChooksChick]

ALSO!!!

Be sure to build very predator proof! Human predators are something to consider in an urban environment- if you google it you'll see a lot of folks get their birds stolen that way.

 

[Chickenaddict]

I vote for either cochins or brahmas altho I have got the sweetest little bantam leghorn, very quiet and tame. Cochins like to sing the egg song LOUD but other then that they are also very sweet and tame as are brahmas. I say 4 in a rabbit hutch sized coop would be a good number as well. Cochins and brahmas are great layers. Seramas are also a very sweet tame breed if handled alot while young but they LOVE to fly if given the opportunity. My cochins are not dirty at all and they free range. I have sampled lots of different bantam breeds and my favs are brahmas, cochins, seramas and easter eggers. Best of luck to you on your chicken journey I am sure you will fall into the addiction in no time and we will hear about your plans to expand soon

 

[maltodextrine]

Thank you both of you, what is "egg song"?

 

[dovecanyon]

When a chicken lays an egg she sings the egg song, loud and clear! The best part is when the other girls join in and sing along with her. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that someone just laid an egg!

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Delawares at our house have been very quiet, practically no egg song. They can be pretty energetic as chicks "popcorn chicks"

These are the standard size birds, white with barred feathers around neck and black tail feathers edged with white (called "laced").

They lay a pretty pinky/peachy/tan egg of good size.

If you can find Delawares. They are unfortunately pretty rare.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have a brahma (standard) and she's super sweet. My Easter Egger (sold to me by hatchery as Ameraucana) is also a great one to have. My brahma has a low key egg song, and my Easter Egger just purrs to herself, she's the quietest one I have. (besides, she gives me green eggs) My Barred rock, RIR and Orpington are loud mouths...........EVERYBODY knows when they lay an egg.

I don't know anything about bantams, so that's my opinion on standards.

 

[Paganbird]

I would like to reccommend Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantams. The ones I have are not much bigger than a fat pigeon. They have great temperments and they are pretty quiet birds. I do have one hen who gets excited & whistles when she sees me.
They are small enough to be kept in a city environment and they lay small eggs, but not tiny eggs. They are waaaaay more subdued than my (rather outgoing) crazy silkies. They seem to enjoy just sitting in my lap sometimes. Oh... and I think they're beautiful, too!

 

[maltodextrine]

so would silkies be a bad idea??