Quiet Chickens?

[daizygirl828]

Quick Question! So, I am planning on getting some chickens (hens) for my backyard. The things is... they aren't really allowed here. My decision is made so I don't want to get into that whole fiasco, but the point here is that I am curious to know if there are any breeds known to be very quiet? I only want 3... do you think it is possible to find chickens that would be quiet enough to not disturb or alert my neighbors who share a fence with us? Thanks for the input!!! I've been thinking about banties, but I really prefer the larger breeds. I've heard buff orpingtons might be a good option?

I don't know, am I being realistic to get chickens? Are they too loud? We share a fence with the neighbors, the fences are 6 feet tall, but they would be living up against a fence that we share with them :-/ What do you think?

 

[N F C]

I think if your coop is sharing the fence with the neighbor's, the neighbor's will eventually know you have chickens.

We've had several breeds and if any one of them was on one side of a fence, the person on the other side would hear them. Our chickens like to chatter, they squabble sometimes and most of them sing the "egg song" after laying. Chickens aren't as loud as some animals but they do make noises. And I make noises when I'm outside with them (cleaning out the coop, talking to them, letting them in and out of the coop or run, etc.). A fence isn't going to block out all noise.

Speaking for myself, I would hate to get attached to an animal and then be forced to give them up when/if they are discovered. I know that's not what you want to hear but think of the chickens if they have to be removed...where would they end up and what would happen to them?

I hope you don't take offense, I'm just sharing my thoughts on your question.

 

[daizygirl828]

Oh no, thanks for the input yeah that makes sense. If worse came to worse I would find a good home, there's lots of farms nearby who would love them. But yeah, I figured I guess they would hear them, but I don't know if it would be like an Oh my GOSH kind of loud or like hmmm , whatever. Guess there's a line between a bit of noise and too much noise. Sheesh, it's so silly. They would be definitely quieter than all the annoying barking neighbor dogs!!!

 

[yellowchicks]

My coop shares a fence with my neighbor. Even though my Leghorns are pretty quiet, my backyard neighbor can definitely hear them in the morning singing the egg song. If your town does not allow chickens but you really want them, try to figure out how to keep your neighbors quiet instead.

My town does not prohibit chickens, but to be on the good side of my neighbors, (I have many due to the fan shape lot), I invited them to see the coop construction, let their kids come over to play with the chicks, and make my rounds to distribute fresh eggs in these cute heart-shape egg cartons on Sundays. More importantly, right from the start, we made sure that our coop has adequate curb appeal to blend in with the neighborhood, especially when it can be seen from the streets and from over the fence. I clean the coop daily, so our neighbors don't have concerns with the smell, health or allergy issues due to having chickens in the vicinity.

Have a chat with your neighbors first before taking the trouble to build a coop or bring in chickens, drop some hints to see how they react.

 

[daizygirl828]

That's a great idea, I don't know how somebody wouldn't love some fresh eggs! So when they make noise in the morning, usually you can only hear it from outside right?

 

[aart]

Some of my hens are quiet.....and some have gone thru periods where they are OMG loud!!

I believe it's an individual bird thing rather than a breed thing.

 

[donrae]

Go on you tube and search for chicken egg song or something similar. Watch several videos and see if it's something you could live with. Chickens are noisy animals. Roosters get all the credit for noise cause of the crowing, but most hens are pretty darn vocal themselves.

I'd also talk to the neighbor. If they're strongly anti-chicken, I'd say don't even bother getting hens. You're going to be stressed out all the time about the smallest noise or smell, and you won't get any enjoyment from them. If the neighbors are good, or bribe-able, maybe give it a try. You never know, they might be wanting to get birds but are afraid of how you'd respond! However, I'd also try to change the regulations to make them legal. We've got a section here about changing regs, several folks have done it successfully.