What is a good breed for me? Can you help?

[Ms. Cluckingly]

So hi there!

I'm new. I've just ordered my chicken coop, bought feed, my feeder, water trough, pine chips, hay, etc... and I'm waiting on my coop to arrive and then I'll be making my run. But I originally was intrested in Speckled Sussex hens, but they will be hard to get here. I don't want to hatch chicks. I want to get hens that are ready to lay. Also, I have 4 neighbors on all sides of me I'm concerned about. The laws in my area say I can have up to 10 hens, and I don't have to have any permission from my neighbors, but I don't want any enemies.. kwim? I have a privacy fence, and my hens will have full access to my entire back yard unless I am not home, and then they will be in their run with access to their coop. So, my main concern right now is "the egg song" when they lay. lol I don't want any neighbors coming to my home complaining... even though we had a neighbor recently who's dog barked ALL the time. They recently gave the dog away though. So, can anyone recommend some good breeds ... who are possibly not the loudest out there...to start with, that I am likely to find on craigslist. I mean, I don't expect hens to be quiet all the time, they are animals for goodness sakes, but you know what I mean. ALSO, is there a "laying lifespan" to be on the lookout for? I know they usually start laying at about 18 weeks, but how long will a hen lay? And if you please, I'm not used to chicken acronyms, so if you could type out their names, that would be really helpful.

Thanks!!

Clare

 

[TXmom]

Buff Orpingtons

They are sweet. My Buffs talk to me, but don't make that really loud "bok bok bok baGAWK" egg song that my EE's and Leghorns make. I honestly don't think it's that bad...but I don't have neighbors to worry about.

 

[Sillystunt]

well, hens aren't that loud when they lay and sometimes don't do the whole annoucing thing.
Maybe different color egg layers would be cool!
*marans give dark eggs
*welsummers give terra cotta eggs
*Ameraucana's and araucana's(true breed) give bright blue eggs
*Easter egger's(often mis sold at hatcheries as the 2 listed above) give blue, green, pink or light brown eggs
*Rhode Island reds, Barred rocks give brown eggs

then there are fancy breeds who have low egg production but sure are cool~
Silkies, Polish, frizzels( average to good egg production but look silly)

I hear Buff orph's are gentle and calm~

have you checked out the breed database? Look under the breed section and click on the sticky! It will have info on all breeds

best of luck~

 

[Goose and Fig]

here's the link for the great info:
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

I don't care what anyone says- my buff orps are loud as all heck. I have a hen that also crows for 2 hours every morning. My quietest birds are the plymouth rocks, and they lay lots of nice brown eggs.

 

[Ms. Cluckingly]

Thanks ladies! So, I'm considering Easter Eggers, if I can get one, and a Black Australorp. There is a lady here in town selling one. SO, when a hen goes broody, if I don't want more chicks, what do I do? I don't want to raise baby chicks...

 

[McGoo]

I just love them all, so I won't remark on which breeds are best, but I do want to say that some hens are noisy. I've had a light brahma who I loved, but who went on and on when she laid an egg. I've also had Easter Eggers and Rhode Island Reds who walked into the nesting box, squatted down and within a few minutes were done with their business and back out scratch'n away.

I think it's not so much the breed, but the gal.

All the best

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

If you don't want to hatch chicks just take the eggs daily. Sometimes if you continually remove the hen from the nest they will get the idea and stop being broody. It worked with my blue cochin. Everytime she goes broody when I find her in the nest I pick her up and move her to another part of the coop. She usually runs over to the food bowl or waterer and goes on her way. I don't have buff orps but I do have blue, white and black. They are pretty quite. Some of my speckled sussex are loud when they lay.
The loudest of all my hens are the polish. You would think soemone was squeezing them. My cochins are the quietest here. They are fairly good layers too. They do go broody alot though, at least mine do.lol

 

[Renee]

My Wyandottes are quiet birds.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Well you can't have chicks without having a rooster. It sounds like you aren't having one so no worries there.
If your neighbors complain, just give them some of the lovely fresh eggs and they will love when they hear the gawk!! There's another egg to give away.

 

[chsfairy2007]

If the chickens being tame or pet-like matters to you, then I would not recommend getting older birds. Honestly, once you buy them at that age, especially when they haven't been handled, they are not real friendly and usually flighty. I have some friends who bought started pullets from a local guy, and the things are insane. Can't even touch them, and they really freak out when she has to clean the coop. I'd at least check the birds out before agreeing to buy them. Just my honest opinion.

However, if eggs matter more than that, then go for it! I vote for EE's (Easter Eggers). I have some four year olds that are still laying, almost an egg everyday. Plus, they are green.

By the way, my Australorps are pretty noisy. Good luck!