Quiet, non-flighty, low flyer breed

[Iluveggers]

Hi! I have a friend who is thinking about getting chickens and asked me what breeds she should get. She lives in a neighborhood with a big yard, and her priorities were:
Quieter breed
Non/flighty (she has a 6 foot fence around her backyard & didn’t want to worry about them jumping it if she lets them out of the run to free range)
Decent egg layers
Cold-hardy

Any suggestions? I don’t know enough about temperament to give her good advice. Thanks so much! (I told her she needs to join BYC!)

 

[Everose]

I really like White Rocks, not too flighty, pretty quiet and they lay good eggs.

Speckled Sussex are fantastic and probably one of my all time favorite breeds, so very curious and active! However they can be extremely chitchatty, not loud just talkative.

Polish were good egg layers for me, very quiet and super pretty, they're flighty because of the poofy thing though.

Wyandottes have been the most chill, they're usually the ones that get picked on the most. They go broody too!

 

[Skyle]

Brahmas! I never seen mine jump more than 3 ft (and they won't jump or fly higher due to their weight).
They are quite shy, but if you handle them from chicks they become very friendly. You can befriend them also as adults, with some pacience and treats
They are very quiet and easygoing with the other breeds. The cockerels aren't aggressive neither with humans or other cockerels (I've never seen more than chest bumping, I have more cockerels and roos together, never seen a drop of blood or a scar).
They are cold hardy and lay pretty often, Ihad hens laying 1 egg everyday for 40 to 60 days, then have a pause of 2 or 3 day. The most of them lay 5 or 6 eggs every week. They are a bit broody though.
Other breeds could be standard Cochins, Orpingtons, Wyandottes. But I don't know these breeds very well.
I would recommend silkies and bantam Cochins, but they are very broody, so the egg production is lower than the other breeds.

 

[Everose]

I forgot to mention ameraucanas! I love their looks and their eggs, they lay a pretty hefty butt nugget and don't make much noise. I've never seen one fly, they're probably too chunky.

 

[Iluveggers]

Thank you both! This is great info that I will definitely pass along!

 

[CalBickieMomma]

My Buff Orpington is pretty calm and seldom flies up onto the low branch roost I have in the chicken run. She also doesn’t make much noise. Also, I’m cracking up about the comment about the Polish above - my Sylvia and Dinah (especially Sylvia) are the loudest in the flock! I swear Sylvia is training to be an opera singer .

 

[Iluveggers]

Thank you! This is a very good list!

 

[danielle2003]

My Buff Orpingtons are pretty quiet, and because they are a heavy breed, they fly hardly at all, and when they do, they don't get very high. They are also great layers. Not to mention, they are on of the friendliest breeds. One con: they do tend to go broody often though.

 

[Iluveggers]

Brahmas! I never seen mine jump more than 3 ft (and they won't jump or fly higher due to their weight).
They are quite shy, but if you handle them from chicks they become very friendly. You can befriend them also as adults, with some pacience and treats
They are very quiet and easygoing with the other breeds. The cockerels aren't aggressive neither with humans or other cockerels (I've never seen more than chest bumping, I have more cockerels and roos together, never seen a drop of blood or a scar).
They are cold hardy and lay pretty often, Ihad hens laying 1 egg everyday for 40 to 60 days, then have a pause of 2 or 3 day. The most of them lay 5 or 6 eggs every week. They are a bit broody though.
Other breeds could be standard Cochins, Orpingtons, Wyandottes. But I don't know these breeds very well.
I would recommend silkies and bantam Cochins, but they are very broody, so the egg production is lower than the other breeds.

One question, are feathered feet ok in a snowy area? (Asking because of the Brahma & Cochin)

 

[Iluveggers]

My Buff Orpingtons are pretty quiet, and because they are a heavy breed, they fly hardly at all, and when they do, they don't get very high. They are also great layers. Not to mention, they are on of the friendliest breeds. One con: they do tend to go broody often though.

Sounds like a perfect breed for her (minus the broodiness!)