Noisy Chickens

[Wol1]

Last year we got 3 Black Australorps. They are SO loud. WWhhhhaaaaat? Obnoxious, especially in a closed coop which happened a lot this winter. Our RIR, Americaunas, and Golden Comets are very quiet. I'm considering which type to get this year to add to our flock. I won't be getting Black Australorps. They are great egg layers, but too loud.

I'd like to get sex links, but I don't trust the glowing descriptions in the catalog. Anyone have experience with sex links to share? Especially the noise level.
Thanks.

 

[Aacre]

I don't know about other sex-links but the black sex link hen I have is relatively quiet. She doesn't make a peep.. UNTIL she feels threatened. Then she will do this weird call and it will upset the roosters, and next thing you know, they're all making their alarm noise. I've learned to just not disturb whatever she is doing. If she is in the nesting box, I just leave her alone until she is good and ready to come out. I really love her though! I wouldn't recommend silver laced wyandottes, just FYI. My 5 aren't that loud, but they almost seem to have a constant cooing going on. It's soothing to me, so it doesn't bother me..

 

[Studio2770]

I've never had sex links but I got a cochin who is quiet. Orpingtons are said to be quiet too.

 

[Wol1]

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. I've read several posts on BYC that suggest black sex links are aggressive. Have you had that experience? Or maybe that could be what you're describing.

We'd like sex-links because we found the rooster waiting game to be a bit nerve wracking last year. We're still going to have some of that, though, as we plan to get Ameracaunas. People really like the blue/green eggs. "Green eggs and ham!"

 

[Aacre]

The one black sex link I have isn't aggressive. She is more flighty and nervous than anything. In observation of her interaction with my Wyandottes, she is mellow and likes to do her own thing. The Wyandottes are the mean ones in my flock. This is just my experience though.

 

[Chickeneedy]

I've got 3 red sex links. I love them. They are quiet, non-aggressive, free range well, don't mind being handled, and are my best laying birds. And like you pointed out, I knew they weren't roos from the day I got them. Only down side might be that they might not live as long as a heritage breed. I've no experience with that myself, but its what I've read a few times. Hope this helps.

 

[Themehmeh]

My golden sex link was the most stupid aggressive bird I've ever had.
She couldn't figure out how to get back in her coop or back in the run when we let them out. we'd have to chase her around for several minutes and herd her in. She wanted to be inside because bedtime is treat time, but she could never find the door.
She was the only bird that would go after lizards and snakes. I like my lizards and snakes so that was cool to watch, but kind of frustrating. She would slurp the snakes up like spaghetti.
Egg production was pretty good, I'd get one a day with maybe one resting day, when production in the flock dropped she was still laying every other day.
She was pretty noisy and she had an awful bellowing call.

 

[3chickchicks]

I think it depends on the individual personality. There's lots of cases where "quiet" breeds turn out to be loud. Making sure they aren't bored helps.
I'm in the city and needed quiet breeds. So I have a dominique, brahma, and some wyandottes. All are said to be quiet.

Well, Lulu the dominique didn't read the manual. The others make hardly any noise (except for a short egg song when they lay). My dominique has the most awful chicken voice and she abuses the heck out of it. Maybe she's a chain smoker and I don't know about it? Her voice is just awful. She'll strut around with this hoarse soundings "Rrrrruuuuuuuh-ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh.....rrrruuuuuuhhh-ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh", over and over, and over again. God it's annoying.
She'll shut up if she has things to do out in the yard. If she decides she wants attention, she comes to the house and just starts squawking like mad. Her egg song is a squawk too, just louder. If she's locked up (for her own safety), she paces and squawks.
The others make pleasant soft sounds to each other and will make some sweet soft sounds as a greeting when I walk up to let them out. And then there's Lulu who's like a screaming banshee. She doesn't know "soft".
Silly girl. She's a great bird and I love her to death, just wish she would shut up some times. lol!

 

[Themehmeh]

haha 3chickchicks that's how my sexlink was.
I had one ameraucana who had just the nicest most melodic chirp, her egg song was so clear and perfect, and then the sex link would cheer her on and ruin everything because she'd squawk at everything else that made noise. It was almost like a donkey breying. Definitely could have been used for horror movies.

 

[memphis]

My Barnevelders & Speckled Sussex are all talkers! It may be my fault. I tend to talk back to them. When they want treats they can get whinney. If we are gardening they sort of coo amongst themselves. Either way they are quite the little talkers!!