Which breed for city backyard?

[LittleEgg]

Hi!

I'm new here and joined because I'm thinking of starting a backyard flock. I live in Indianapolis and it is legal to keep chickens here. I know I have a lot of reading and preparing to do before getting any chickens and hope to learn from others here.

My first question is which breed(s) would be best for me? I am looking to have only a few chickens (3-4) to be used for fresh eggs only, not breeding, show, or meat. Since I have close neighbors, it would be preferable to have a breed that is relatively quiet. I'd also like them to be friendly, calm, and cold-hardy, as well as continue to lay in the winter. Any suggestions?

LittleEgg

 

[seriousbill]

Best bet is probably a few Orpingtons, all hens, no roo.

 

[LittleEgg]

Thanks for the reply, that is one of the breeds that has caught my eye. But I did read on one thread here someone mentioned they are loud. Some noise is likely ok (and there are a lot of barking dogs around here), but was wondering if Orps are very loud, or if that person's experience was unusual for the breed.

 

[seriousbill]

All chickens are loud.

Now, that being said, there are individual differences from bird to bird, but there's no such thing as a "quiet breed." You "pays your money and you takes your chance," lol. Orpingtons are no louder than any other, but they are generally docile, low-key, and easy to manage, and they are cold-hardy winter layers.

 

[Southerngirl]

If you are looking for a friendly winter layer and all around good breed the Black Australorp is a great choice. Ours are very curious and lay beautiful brown eggs. The light Brahma hens also do well in a cold climate and are very quiet.

 

[LittleEgg]

I'm sure free fresh eggs to neighbors will help appease anyone bothered by some chicken sounds!

On one side of me, the neighbor doesn't seem to care about anything, and the ones on the other side do a lot of cooking and baking... plus have a barker of a dog, so can't complain too much. I'm not that worried about noise, but would stray away from a breed if lots of people said they are much louder than other breeds.

Thanks for the suggestions! Other breeds I've been reading about that sound possibly like what I'm looking for are Plymouth Rock, Sussex or Wyandottes. Anyone have any experience with those?

 

[glowworm]

I live in the city and I have a buff orpington, black australorp, and light brahma. I think they are very quiet (although mine havent laid eggs yet) . My orpington is the talker, but her noises are actually really cute, and quieter than a person's normal speech volume.

Check out this chart too
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

[oldbuzzard]

orps would be great. i love mine. the australorps,brahmas and ones you been researching would be great choices too. dont worry your neighbors will love yours chickens. good luck and enjoy!

 

[FrChuckW]

You can also check out MyPetChicken.com They have a simple quiz on their site that you can use just by answering 5 questions and will tell you what breed (s) are best for your situation.

Most hens will talk among themselves, sort of a soft chuckling sound, unless one gets upset.

Just remember to familiarize yourself with the local building and licensing codes so that if someone does complain you are in compliance.

Good Luck and

 

[LittleEgg]

Thanks for the links, there are so many choices! If I can't decide on just one, is it ok to mix them up? Like, if I had a flock of 3-4, could there be 2-3 different breeds living together? Or, do they prefer their own kind usually?