Chicken noise level

[TaylorS]

Hi! We are planning on getting some chickens, but one of our main concerns is the noise level. We live in an urban community so we are needing some pretty low profile chickens.

We were originally thinking of getting some sex link chickens. Does anyone know how much/how loud of noise this breed of chicken tends to make? Or, which breed would be recommended as quieter?

THANKS!!

Taylor

 

[HEChicken]

A sex link is not a breed - it is a hybrid, created by a certain breed of roo over a certain breed of hen, that has been shown to produce chicks that can be hatched at birth based on their coloration. So there is a wide variation in sexlinks, since there are multiple breeds that can be used to create them.

Naturally, hens are quieter than roos, but that said, hens can get pretty noisy around egg-laying time, singing the egg song or announcing their annoyance that their preferred nest box is already in use. The rest of the day they are quiet, and at night will make almost no noise at all.

The main thing is whether you are legally allowed to have them. If you are, don't worry if the hens make a little noise - the neighbors might complain but the law will be on your side. However if it is not legal for you to keep them, you may want to reconsider the idea. Generally, these situations don't turn out so well, as after a complaint, you will be given a very short period of time to get rid of them or face a daily penalty until you do.

Good luck!

 

[devora]

A sex link is not a breed - it is a hybrid, created by a certain breed of roo over a certain breed of hen, that has been shown to produce chicks that can be hatched at birth based on their coloration.

Gonna guess that's 'sexed at birth.'

Good advice. I think, however, having good relations w/ neighbors is more important. Claiming you have a legal right to have birds but living next to someone who despises you can be a losing situation.

All chickens make noise. If it's an issue, whether it's legal or not legal in your area, you might have a problem w/ your neighbors.

 

[RedDrgn]

Like everyone's said, are you legally allowed to have chickens? If so, are you allowed to have a rooster? Even when getting sexed chicks, there is a chance that a cockerel slipped through and you should know what (if anything) you may have to do about that if it happens.

Hens can be noisy, but in my experience, five hens cackling and bagoking over a predator make about as much noise as a 30+lb dog barking. However, keep in mind that people often ignore barking dogs (because they're used to them), so even a much quieter hen will tend to attract more attention than the dog.

 

[devora]

"bagoking"
Love this!

 

[hokankai]

It TOTALLY depends on the chicken. I've had some who hardly make any noise and some that I can hear form the deck and their coop is 100ft away. They can get LOUD and their egg-laying songs are very loud and go on for a little while.