Need quiet chicken breeds

[CinnamonQueen]

Okay. I've been saying that our RIR's need to go. How long has it been? They're still here.

We still haven't been found out.

I'm going to take the plunge and try and get my hands on Light Brahmas, EE's, and Aussies.
But please post here if you can, because there are probably MANY other BYCers who have the same question. We should do a study!

 

[gallusdomesticus]

My Australorps and Wyandottes are virtually silent. Buff Orphington is a budding opera singer. Black sex link is also fairly quiet breed but I may just have a quiet one, they are half RIR.

 

[LBPollos]

I have no chickens at the moment, I want to find a quiet breed myself as well. We had a rooster once and a neighbor complained. I dont blame her though, he was loud. But from reading this thread the only noise any chicken makes is during the laying of eggs? If thats the case then we should design our coops in a way that the egg laying box is better insulated inside the coop to minimize the noise.

I was thinking about an orpington but after reading this thread I dont know now.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

No, chickens make noise any time they want... Not just when laying. Sometimes they will start cackling and yelling when they feel like it. My Orpington is pretty quiet... My bantam EEs are my loudest. None of my chickens sing an egg song though (guess im lucky?) so I really can't tell you about that.

 

[mrsc1951]

We, too wanted "quiet" chickens because we have a neighbor who complains about everything. After doing some research, we got Australorps - wonderful personalities and Light Brahmas. We have been very pleased with both breeds and both are very good egg layers. My dominant hen - one of the Australorps - does get very loud when something upsets her though. I think it's amusing. I must say however, that I have been in both of my next door neighbors' yards and with the privacy fence, you don't hear my chickens at all.

 

[CinnamonQueen]

Getting "quiet" chickens is hard. My chickens make the most noise during egg song and when they want out of their coop. Other than that, they are much quieter.

 

[cgoodloe]

Not sure if you have seen my other posts elsewhere but here is my story...

I bought 3 Red Stars and 3 EE'ers from mypetchicken.com 2 years ago this month. Once they started laying 2 EE'ers were so noisy I gave them away. The other 4 chickens were very quiet. Of course they'd chatter a little especially Twinkie. She's the one that knocks on the patio door for treats before I got a fence up. Anyway, the 3rd EE'er died for no apparent reason in the 110F heat last summer (she's supposed to be heat tolerant) and well Henley, one of the Red Stars would holler all day trying to find Lily. I guess they were buds or something. Well I found Henley a home because it was starting to annoy even me and we are city dwellers with fines for noise levels (same as dogs barking). A couple weeks after Henley left, Penny started hollering every time Twinkie would be sitting on the nest. It was driving me nuts so I gave Twinks and Penny to the same lady that took Henley so the sisters are all back together. They aren't making much noise over there but it's weird that they were doing it here. In the meantime I bought 2 Australorps and 4 Golden Buffs here locally thinking that they might be quiet breeds too. NOPE! Ok so, Aussies chatter a lot. It's not loud but it's alot. The Goldens would chatter some but were relatively quiet. When Ginger started laying, she was super noisy for about an hour. My Stars NEVER cackled after laying or before or during. They just went nuts when they couldn't find the other chickens. Crazy right? Anyway, BeeBee, an Aussie started laying and she was hollering for an hour before actually getting on the nest. Once she was there and laying, she was back to quiet. But this one day 3 or 4 of the chickens were all hollering at once for 2 hours!!! I was so mad I gave all 6 of them away with the coop determined to never get more chickens. But I sure do miss my Aussies! They were so beautiful. Just don't miss the racket! My mom told me to buy Rhode Island Red bantams because even when they cackle it's not loud. I'm told they are loud by other people but I don't know. So I am going to try the bantams. If they don't work out I may buy more Red Stars from mypetchicken (has low minimum depending on zip code), but if anyone wants to buy Stars be sure to get more then 2 because they don't like being lonely even for a few minutes! haha

Carla
Clovis, CA

 

[cgoodloe]

Oh you definitely don't want a rooster if you need quiet. Roosters are noisy themselves but when you mix them with hens you get even worse noise. Roosters generally are not allowed in city backyards.

Carla

 

[redriver]

I also have an urban flock, well not too urban, but still we have neighbors. I saw someone mention American Dominique, and I have to say if they are a quiet breed I don't want to know what loud is! We had a scorpion problem and spent a good long while looking for a breed of chicken that was not only good for foraging( eating the scorpions and their food supply), but quiet! We read tons of information and finally decided the Dominique breed....we ordered three and two of them have finally started laying eggs.On the plus side I haven't heard either of the two sing an egg song. It is the third that hasn't started laying yet that is HUGE, LOUD PROBLEM. While the other two are laying she will SCREAM. Not even something that could be considered a noise a bird would make, it sounds like someone is killing a baby goat in my backyard....I don't think my neighbors mind too much, but I certainly do. She seems like a hysterical woman that needs to be slapped to shut up. She is fraying my nerves. The other two, about once a day will make themselves known, but at least they sound like a chicken and not something dying. I am at my wits end with her and am 95% sure she is going to be finding a new home. I wouldn't call any of the three quiet really. Recently all three have been loud until I let them out of their covered run, which I cannot until the afternoon because of hawks. Today actually the problem child was so loud I just gave up, let them out this morning, and told them if a hawk got them it was their own dang fault. Dominique breed is also a VERY talkative breed, which I don't mind. They love to sit on our laps and just ERRRRR away for as long as we please. They can be very sassy too. They aren't afraid to jump on a shoulder and get in your business. I like the personality. Plus, they have taken care of the scorpion problem. I was just expecting a chicken that was far more demure with the vocals from all the information I had read.

Too funny!

 

[bluelavendar]

I have one white Cochin, and one black Australorp. They are both one year old and laying. I never hear a peep out of the Cochin except wonderful soft purring sounds. The Australorp makes a ridiculous racket when either she or the Cochin lay an egg, and sometimes "just because."