Breed Reccommendations

[wymanhomestead]

Hi all! My mom has been thinking of converting her vacant dog kennel into a coop for 5 years now. My husband and I just got chickens on our ranch and now she has decided to take the plunge. She has no internet so she wants me to do some research for her.

So, my question to all of you chook experts: what is a good banty or small breed that does not tend to fly much and is fairly quiet? She is also curious about guinea hens, do they lay eggs, and are they too noisy? She does live in the city limits so roosters are obviously out. Any ideas are greatly appreciated

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Use these breed comparison charts.
http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparison.pdf

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html
Both give good characteristic guidelines.
The Henderson one will tell you which breeds have a bantam version.
Guineas are louder.

 

[gryeyes]

Guineas are VERY noisy.

Most bantam breeds CAN fly, because they are smaller and not too heavy to take off. But bantam Cochins are a good choice, as they are adorable, fluffy, friendly, and not as loud as some other breeds.

Bantam Faverolles are another friendly, docile and not very loud breed.

Good luck in your research - you came to the right place, because BYC is THE source for chicken-keeping folks.

With that said, I do like to recommend Henderson's Handy Dandy Chicken Chart:
Www.Ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

[wymanhomestead]

Thank you both! I am a total data nerd, so these charts are fantastic!