4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Chickens@61]

i am wondering about adding to/redesigning our flock

 

can anyone offer any advice about ideal breeds to mix with our little pekins.. i would love something of about the same size, that is not TOO noisy and that is a reliable layer and not just a pretty face (maybe a little hybrid?)

 

does such a bird exist, or am i asking the impossible??

 

any suggestions gratefully received! xx

[Snowy]

What about some rhode island red or welsummer bantams? Can't vouch for the noise aspect but I think they probably lay more than pekins

[Janty]

We have two rhode island red miniatures and an Orpington miniature with our pekins. The three pekins all snuggle up to the Orp miniature at night. They are not noisy at all...in fact our lavender pekin is one of the noisiest chickens we have.

[Cinnamon]

I have a selection of bantams & they all get on really well together.

We have a lemon cuckoo pekin, a Barbu D'anvers, a Barbu D'uccle & 2 Polands - there are some piccys in my gallery,link below

 

I think that any of the smaller breeds will get on well, but much depends on the personality of the hen.

[Daphne]

just to say our bantam polands have developed a right old shout during the past month or so. There are 4 of them, but its just as well we have good neighbours. Didn't do it last year.

[Treekeeper]

Silver laced wyandotte bantams are lovely. But then I am biased

[Bondinho]

just to say our bantam polands have developed a right old shout during the past month or so. There are 4 of them, but its just as well we have good neighbours. Didn't do it last year.

 

Out of all my small hens, my poland bantam is also the noisiest of the bunch, she doesn't even cluck - it is just high pitched squeaking. It is a horrific sound My neighbours weren't best pleased, but since she has got used to laying an egg a day she has quietened down a lot.

 

My pekin and appenzeller barely make a sound (although the appenzeller is still not laying even at 33 weeks old - and she is meant to be my reliable layer )

[Pinkybijou]

Our Doris is a Welsummer and is very small. She's not a bantam, so maybe just a runt! She is lovely natured, loves being handled and is also quiet. The only noises she makes are purring noises when I feed her nice things like live mealworms, or when she can't see Dora she makes quiet 'gwaarp' noises under her beak! I'm not sure if all Welsummers are small, but compared to Dora she is tiny, but lays reasonable sized eggs (about 45g). HTH

[Chickens@61]

thank you everyone.. might look into a rir bantam, didn't know they existed