Is there a quieter chicken breed?

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Is there a quieter chicken breed?
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Mutton

Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

Posted: Wed Jan 01, 14 8:47 pm Post subject: Is there a quieter chicken breed?

Is there a quieter chicken breed?

Now, I suspect the answers are "no" and "it varies by individual not breed" but I thought I'd ask.

Background
We've got allsorts and in the mix are Aracuana, Silkie, Rhode Island Red, Silver Sussex and Buff Sussex. Now a few of these hens are fairly quiet, but some are incredibly vocal about
a) Queuing for their favourite nest box which is occupied (even when there are less favoured nest boxes standing empty)
b) Have just laid an egg
c) Something alarmed them

Incredibly vocal = shouting for up to ten minutes, really loudly after laying. Longer if they are queueing.

So, numbers have dropped over the year and we are going to hatch a new round of layers in the Spring. Apart from how vocal they are, we like our chickens - hardy vigorous free rangers who cope with a fairly exposed smallholding bordering on moorland. But we really should get a new cockerel in, or hatch out some unrelated eggs, not our own. Which means we could be trying a new breed.

Are there any hardy, free range breeds with a reputation for being quiet?

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Wed Jan 01, 14 9:09 pm Post subject:
Not that I know of. Maybe the lighter flightier birds are a bit noisier than the heavy breeds.

Mutton

Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

Posted: Wed Jan 01, 14 10:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks

Also just been looking at this page
https://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html
on chicken breeds.

Noticing specific comments on a few breeds being noisy (but none being quiet...) though some breeds are listed as calm or docile.

So sub-question - are there breeds you've found that don't shout as often or as long as other breeds (even if the volume is the same)?

Looking at the link above, Welsummer, Plymouth Rock and Sussex seem moderately promising. Any comments from anyone on those?

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 6:15 am Post subject:
I keep two of those three breeds but quite honestly, I've never found the noise that a chicken makes after laying an egg to be a problem. In fact, I look forward to hearing it. It means that I'm being paid. Cockerels crowing at 4.00am? Now that's something else.

Shan

Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 9075
Location: South Wales

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 8:38 am Post subject:
I have 2 Welsummers. One is quiet whilst the other never shuts up.

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4563
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 11:36 am Post subject:
For less noise the obvious answer is to keep a poor laying breed, But that is i presume not the reason you keep chickens.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 11:50 am Post subject:
or oven ready

Somewhere-by-the-river

Joined: 16 Sep 2013
Posts: 56
Location: West Wales

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 12:05 pm Post subject:

Our Sussex hens (light and speckled) are really quiet, we hardly hear a peep out of them at any point.

As a point of interest, we also have Pekins as broody birds (not great layers) and have noticed with them over the years it's really a case of the individual birds - some like to announce that they are going to lay an egg for about an hour before they do so, some like to crow about it after the event, some are just so flighty that they never seem to shut up whilst others are so docile (or perhaps I should say dim?!) that they never do much of anything...

I don't think there are any hard an fast rules (neither do I claim to be anything like an expert, so this is purely based on our experience and various friends with chooks), but I personally would recommend the Sussex - good layers, pretty docile and friendly - speaking personally, they've come to be a bit of a favourite breed (if lacking the 'characters' that some our our Pekins have been).

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 12:10 pm Post subject:
My Light Sussex and Welsummers are extremely friendly and laid back birds and I don't have a problem with them as far as noise is concerned. Of late though, my OH has started accusing me of going a little bit 'mutt and jeff'.

mousjoos

Joined: 05 Jun 2006
Posts: 1986
Location: VERY Sunny SW France

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 12:14 pm Post subject:

Bodger wrote:

Of late though, my OH has started accusing me of going a little bit 'mutt and jeff'.

usually a recipe for a long & happy marriage

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 1:12 pm Post subject:
You'll have to speak up a little.

chickenlady

Joined: 18 Aug 2013
Posts: 413
Location: Dorset

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 1:19 pm Post subject:
I had a silkie who used to mutter very quietly and the absolutely (almost) silent hen at the moment is a warren hybrid (a Windy Brown). My pekins can be a bit shrill but only for a few minutes when they've laid or if the cat tries to tiptoe past.

LynneA

Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Posts: 4893
Location: London N21

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 5:18 pm Post subject:
Ours are very quiet unless we're lat letting them out in the morning. Our neighbours actually LIKE them making noise - they say it make a change from yappy little dogs.

Mutton

Joined: 09 May 2009
Posts: 1508

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 5:56 pm Post subject:
Breed?

leggy

Joined: 16 Jan 2009
Posts: 340
Location: Monmouth

Posted: Thu Jan 02, 14 7:05 pm Post subject:
My Brahma bantams were quiet,but poor layers and the breed is prone to scaly leg I think. I got 3 hybrids that are quite quiet,a bluebell,silver sussex and a ranger In fact if it was not for my serama cockerel.you would hardly know I had poultry.

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