Breed for New Chicken owner?

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
I don't think Silkies would be a bad idea, but they can be loud, just as any breed can be. I've noticed the egg song disappeared at my house when I put in more nest boxes. It turns out it's more like a "Get outta my nest" song around here. Upon many hours of staring at the silly birds, I realized mine don't squawk when leaving, but upon going to lay and finding someone in their preferred nest.

My solution was to add a couple of 3' x 16" x 24" nesting areas, double decker, so they have lots of room to get in the area they like despite someone else being in there. They are silent now, for the most part!

 

[Cluckatar]

My Easter Eggers are the most friendly and easy going birds, and they seem pretty quiet compared to the other hens we have. I think the blue/green eggs those two girls are laying are easily the largest eggs, and coming from the smallest of our hens. They are definitely my preferred "pet" chickens

 

[maltodextrine]

So far I have gathered that...


Easter Eggers: Blue eggs, qieter than some others,

Silkies: crazy, can be loud, Might be fixed by more nest boxes, like a flock of kittens,

Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantams: "not much bigger than a fat pigeon"

brahma: Like to sit in lap, good egg layers,

Delawares: hard to find, no egg song, popcorn chicks

cochins: good egg layers, easy going

Seramas: need to handle a lot when they are young so they are docile

I should have no more than 4 in my sized coup/run.
Ample nesting boxes for quieter hens.
Just like people all chickens are different and I can't judge them by their breed.
Bantams are smaller and would probably be happier in my small area.

Am I missing anything?

 

[chickenlover54]

i vote cochin bantams, they are so cute and sweet

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Silkies and cochins go broody a lot. That means they quit laying and want to hatch babies. Great if you want babies, not so great if you want eggs.

ETA: my Easter Egger lays green eggs.

 

[Bandit]

My Gold laced Wyandotte never makes any noise and lays huge eggs. Also she's good in cold weather. My Buff Orpingtons never say much but my Silver laced Wyandotte talks to herself and others all the time. Always has a comment or two about everything. She's a great egg layer, though.

 

[feathersnuggles]

My EE is not noisy. She makes small chirping and twittering sounds whenever she sees me and she's very sweet. When she lays an egg, she doesn't "bok-bok-b'GAWK" afterwards. Of course that could be because she's has a bunch of LOUD sisters who make up for any lack of noise.

ETA: oh yeah, my Blue Wyandotte is quiet too (but I didn't count her because she STILL hasn't laid an egg - going on 32 weeks old now)

My loudest are a barnyard mix who's father was Welsummer, the Barred Rock/Cuckoo Marans mix, and my Black Australorp. In that order.

 

[kristen2678]

I agree with LOTS of bedding on that cement floor. Maybe several inches of sand as well as the bedding. With limited space I'd go with bantams. My Buff Orpington and Light Brahama are big birds. My EE is the sweetest thing, lays a pretty green egg, is smaller than the BO and LB, and quiet.

 

[herechickchick]

I would choose either True Bantam Ameraucanas, Bantam Orpingtons, Bantam Speckled Sussex , Bantam Barred Rock or Bantam Delawares if you want bantams but any of the breeds listed are great in Large Fowl as well.

 

[barred-rocks-rock]

I would get two Buff Brahma Bantams, One Easter Egger Bantam, and one d'Uccle bantam (all hens).