Name your quietest chicken breed - Poll

[macmama]

I think it all depends on the individual. I have 3 BOs. The 2 tied for "top hen" make almost no noise at all. Occasionally I'll get a quick "Hey guys I laid an egg!" from one of them, but it's rare. My smaller and least dominant BO shouts her egg-making from the mountaintops-- for 10 minutes!
My other 2 are BRs, and they are just starting to lay. They are by far more chatty. Every time they see me it's, "Hey there! you gotta treat for me? is that a treat? what, no treat?" but so far their egg-songs are simple and quiet.

I'd have to go with BOs for my vote, because all though my 3rd is annoying (and will be looking for anew home shortly) the other 2 are VERY quiet girls.

 

[rarebreedeggs4u]

If you're going for stealth and ease of care, I'd recommend Jumbo Brown Coturnix Quail. Any neighbors hearing them will think "wild bird", not illegal poultry. They lay like crazy, are thrifty keepers and they're yummy

Some of my BIG, calm girls

The door is open, they're not flying out or freaking out. Mom is good, Mom has the FOOD~LOL

I was moving 2 & 3 week old quail chicks outside yesterday and was scooping them up out of the open front brooder 2 at a time. If I tried that with most of my chicken breeds, I'd have had a lot of new free range birds

 

[smith2]

BO's and ISA Browns are my quietest. However, I think the noise level may be more inherent temperment of individual birds than the breed. I have 1-2 RIR that are just obnoxious everytime they lay an egg. Going on for 20-30 minutes, squawking, yelling, shreeching, etc. The other RIR's seem to be fairly quiet.

 

[chickcritty]

I only have 3 different breeds - Buff Orpington, Black Australorp and Silver-Laced Wyandotte. The Wyandottes are still making baby noises as they're only about 8 weeks old, so I don't know how loud they're going to be yet. I'd have to say the Australorps are the quietest. They don't squawk much and they don't sing the egg song too often. My Orpington squawks a lot and sings the egg song not only when she's laid, but when something scares or upsets her.

 

[Old Fossil]

My four Dominicker pullets are only two months old, but they talk a lot, to my mind.

 

[trictle]

2 Delawares - LOUD!!!
2 Plymouth Barred Rocks - less loud save for the egg song.

 

[geebs]

silkies

 

[poularde]

I have to vote for orpingtons.

My rooster hardley ever crows. My marans hen would be my noisiest. I do not have any silkies so I cannot say much about them. As long as my orps are happy they really are quiet and calm.

 

[swheat]

I haven't read through all the posts, but he quietest and most docile breed I ever had out of 17 breeds over the years is Salmon Faverolles. I only sold them because I had to downsize considerably.

 

[mgw]

I vote for our two polish hens they cluck quietly when we are around but we have never heard them be loud.