Do you have any idea how noisy chickens can be? Their sounds can be as loud as 60-70 decibels. Chickens generally make noise when they have laid an egg.
However, chickens also create sounds when scared, startled, or in danger. But what about choosing chickens that merely make any sounds?
If you want to follow the specific zoning regulations or bylaws of your location or don’t want to bother your neighbors, you might be looking for the quietest chicken breed.
The main advantage of raising noise-free chickens is that you enjoy a peaceful and calm environment. Let’s discover what is the quietest chicken breed!
Top 10 Quietest Chicken Breeds
Raising chickens can be fun and, at the same time, a hassle too if you choose an inappropriate breed.
The followings are some friendly, calm, and gentle chicken breeds you can raise at home.
01. Buff Orpington
This popular chicken breed originated in southeast England in the late nineteenth century. Chicken keepers raise them for both eggs and meats.
This heavy bird has polished copper feathers. Their combs and wattles are small, dark, and pale colored. But they have a broad body structure with short legs and backs.
Buff Orpington chickens have an abundance of round and soft feathers. Their shanks, beak, and feed are pink and white.
This quiet, docile, friendly, and fluffy chicken often performs a submissive squat to get attention from their owner. Buff Orpingtons will hop up their owner’s lap too.
They spend most of their time eating and roaming around. Buff Orpington Chicken are good hunters to enjoy various bugs and insects.
The average lifespan of Buff Orpington is around 5 to 10 years. Males weigh around 3.6-4.6 kg, whereas females have a weight of 2.7-3.6 kg on average.
Buff Orpington chickens lay around 200 to 280 eggs light brown large eggs annually. The average weight of each chicken is between 55 and 65 grams.
02. Cornish Cross
It is a widely popular chicken breed, mainly raised for meat production. Cornish Cross originated from Cornwall, England, in 1820 by Sir Walter Gilbert.
This hefty breed has closely-knit feathers. They have white-feathered with yellow legs and skin. Cornish Cross can be around 10 to 15 inches tall with huge thighs and wide, ample breasts.
They are quiet and docile in nature. However, Cornish Cross can be a bit noisy if you trip on them or step on their toes. This breed doesn’t fly. You can raise them in a confined area.
Cornish Cross is a bit heavy feeder compared to regular birds. They can eat around 1 pound daily. But fast-growing and slow-growing chickens don’t consume the same amount.
This white breed has an average lifespan of 5 to 8 years. But you have to take care of them appropriately. If there are any heart or leg issues, they are likely to die soon.
The average weight of Cornish cross chicken is 6 pounds for males and 5 pounds for females. But they can be as heavy as 8-9 pounds.
Cornish cross chickens lay around 100 to 160 small/medium cream or light brown eggs per year.
03. Black Australorp
Are you looking for an almost totally silent chicken breed? Black Australorp appears to be a perfect choice. They are very gentle and friendly. Australorps are not fond of the egg song too.
They originated in Australia. Black Orpington is the prior version of Black Australorp. Their delightful nature makes them a top choice among chicken keepers.
Black Australorp has glossy, gorgeous black feathers. But it looks like iridescent green when direct sunlight falls on them.
They also have red, single, upright combs and wattles with an overall solid rectangular-shaped body. This bird is a part of the ‘English’ class of chicken.
Their lifespan is 6 to 10 years. Male chickens have an average weight of 8-9 pounds, whereas female chooks weigh about 6-7 pounds.
Black Australorp starts laying eggs somewhere between 16-20 weeks. They lay around 250 to 300 light brown eggs annually. Each egg weighs about 50 to 55 grams.
04. Wyandotte
This chicken breed is a beginner-friendly, docile, hearty, and trusting creature. Their strong personalities make them a top choice for people who have recently started raising chickens.
Wyandotte originated in New York in the United States in the 1870s. Their old name is American Sebright. This bird is genetically engineered from Dark Brahma and Spangled Hamburgs.
This large and heavy bird has yellow skin and shanks as well as healthy-looking, colorful wings. Their wattles, face, and earlobes are red, but their eyes are slightly reddish.
Handling and raising Wyandotte is easygoing due to their gentle and friendly temperament. You just need to give proper care and love to keep them happy.
Their average lifespan is 5 to 6 years. But if you take care of them carefully, they can live up to 12 years.
This clean-legged chook has an average weight of 8-9 pounds for males and 9-7 pounds for females. They lay around 200 to 240 large light or dark-brown eggs annually.
05. Rhode Island Red
This chicken breed is human-friendly and surprisingly docile. You can raise them in either confinement or free-range areas. They are not afraid of human attention.
This beautiful chook originated from Rhode Island in the mid-1800s. They are pretty cold hardy birds to stay healthy and active in freezing temperatures.
Rhode Island Red chickens love to wander around and enjoy grubs, seeds, or treats. You can raise this delightful and entertaining bird in your backyard.
Feathers of Rhode Island Red is light rust, red, or brown. Their beak and eyes are red, but their feet and legs are yellow. Their fluff balls are small and come in various colors, such as red, tan, orange, etc.
Rhode Island Red has an average lifespan of 5 to 8 years. Female chickens weigh around 6.5 pounds, whereas males have an average weight of 8.5 pounds.
They lay around 200 to 300 medium/large and light brown eggs annually. Each egg weighs about 53 to 55 grams.
06. Plymouth Rock
This friendly chicken breed has charming and sweet personalities. You can raise them along with other pets. Plymouth Rock originated in the United States in the middle of the 19th century.
They show affection towards their owners. In fact, Plymouth Rock will develop strong attachments to its chicken keepers within a short period.
You can easily recognize Plymouth Rock chickens by their black and white stripes. They have a vaguely triangular-shaped body.
However, hens and roosters don’t look the same. Male chickens have equally barred black and white feathers. But female birds have a bit narrower white bars than black bars.
Plymouth Rock has an average lifespan of 8 to 10 years. Roosters weigh around 7.5 pounds on average, whereas hens have an average weight of 6.5 pounds.
This dual-purpose breed lays around 200 to 300 large soft, light brown eggs per year on average. Each egg weighs about 54 to 58 grams.
07. Ameraucana
Chicken keepers who are looking for a happy, friendly, and sociable chicken breed can’t go wrong with this option. They are relatively quieter and more docile than many other breeds.
Raising this beautiful bird is hassle-free as they are simple to tame. Plus, this independent chook love to explore with humans.
They originated from Chile, South America, in the 1920s. Ameraucana is not particularly loud for the most part, but they love to sing their egg song. This breed also likes to chat with each other.
Their wattles and comb are red. Ameraucana has a glossy muff, an upright tail, a curved beak, and big eyes. The body of Ameraucana chickens is a bit u-shaped.
Ameraucana has an average lifespan of 5 to 10 years. Roosters weigh around 5.5-6.5 pounds, and hens weigh about 4.5-5.5 pounds.
This friendly chicken breed lays approximately 150-200 medium to large-sized blue eggs annually. Each egg weighs around 48 to 52 grams on average.
08. Java
This is a rare and old chicken breed. They originated from the island of Java in the United States. They are not particularly noisy. But Java may make sounds when they are excited or stressed.
This calm and quiet chicken breed is not aggressive at all. You can raise them in farm environments. They can be a good friend for kids too.
Java chooks have an elongated broad back and deep breasts. Their feathers are white with black tips. They have yellow feet, dark brown eyes, and gray-blue legs.
Compared to regular chicken breeds, their earlobes are a bit smaller. Their wattles and combs are red and medium in size.
Their average lifespan is 5 to 8 years. Java chickens are not prone to any fatal health problems if taken care of them properly. Plus, they are hardy birds.
An adult male chicken weighs around 9.5 pounds on average, whereas a female breed has 7.5 pounds of weight on average.
Java chickens lay around 150 to 200 tinted-to-dark brown eggs annually. Each one weighs approximately 50 to 52 grams on average.
09. Sebright Bantam
Are you a fan of actively social and unassumingly friendly birds? If so, Sebright Bantam might be what you are looking for. They are known as sweet and inquisitive birds.
Sebright Bantam originated in England during the 1800s. They are known as one of the oldest British bantam breeds.
This beautiful rose-combed bantam has an angular, jaunty appearance. They have warm rose combs, downward-pointing wings, a dark horn-colored beak, and slate-blue legs.
Their feathers are short and tight, and the color is either gold or silver laced. They are true bantams and have an average height of 0 to 2 feet.
Sebright bantams are a bit hardy birds. They can live around 8 to 12 years on average. The male chicken has an average weight of 620 grams, whereas females weigh only 570 grams.
This small but sweet bird lays around 60 to 80 tiny white or creamy-white eggs. Each egg weighs only 28 to 30 grams on average.
10. Dominiques
If you are living in a rural or suburban setting, Dominique chickens are a great option due to their quiet nature.
They originated from New England in the early 1800s. This dual-purpose bird is notorious for its hardiness, adaptability, and friendly disposition.
Dominiques have a resilient nature. Hence, they can adapt to various environments. Many call it sweet, gentle chicken as it doesn’t get furious or upset around human beings.
Their earlobes, wattles, combs, and face are glossy red, whereas plumages are black-and-white. But they have yellow beaks, legs, and feet. Dominique’s feathers have white and black stripes.
Dominiques have an average lifespan of 6 to 8 years. Their average weight is 5 to 7 pounds.
They lay around 230 to 275 small to medium-sized light brown eggs annually. Each egg weighs about 56 to 60 grams on average.
Their egg productions are the best for the first two years after they start laying the first eggs. But it reduces by 10% each year.
Summing UP
People have been raising chickens since at least 5400 B.C. or 7400 years ago. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 518 million chickens are in the USA.
However, not chooks are suitable for raising at home, especially if you live in an urban or semi-urban area. A loud chicken can put you in a problem if it causes problems for neighbors.
You have already figured out what is the quietest chicken breed after reading this post. Let me know if you are raising any other species I have not mentioned above.
