If you are searching for the right breed of chicken, Wyandotte might be the right choice for you.
This exceptionally hardy and large-bodied American breed can thrive in cold climates.
However, an equally important consideration is how much noise they make.
Key Takeaway:
Wyandottes are not a quiet chicken breed compared to other options. They love to talk to each other throughout the day with near-constant clucking. Don’t rule Wyandotte chickens out yet, because loud is a relative term when talking about chickens.
Keep on reading to find out how much sound Wyandotte chickens usually make and how loud they are.
This will help you decide if this is the right backyard poultry for you.
Wyandotte Flocks Like To Talk To One Another
Any healthy group of chickens will make a lot of different noises.
This is true from a large commercial producer to a happy backyard flock of well-taken care of birds.
The bucking and clucking noises of a group of happy birds are by no means loud, but it is a peaceful amount of noise.
If you are taking good care of the birds and they have access to water, plenty of food, and a coop they feel safe in, then this quiet chatter between birds shouldn’t be much of a bother.
Gold Laced and Silver Laced Wyandottes will make the same amount of noise, as there aren’t a lot of differences other than their physical appearance.
If you are considering Wyandotte hens for your backyard and are worried their noise will bother your neighbors, the good news is they probably won’t be a problem.
Most of the noises they make are to communicate with one another, and the two loudest noises they’ll make are when telling another bird to move and right after they lay an egg.
The Wyandotte is a dependable layer, and after they lay an egg, they’ll have their “egg song,” which is a loud noise but is thankfully dampened by the walls of the coop.
They make this noise 5-15 minutes after laying an egg to scare away predators and let their sisters know they just laid an egg.
Further Reading: How old are Wyandotte chickens when they start laying eggs?
Roosters Will Always Be Loud
When talking about how noisy Wyandottes are, saying their noises won’t bother the neighbor is true for hens.
On the other hand, the Wyandotte rooster is much louder than your average chicken.
The image and sounds associated with a rooster crowing at dawn to let farmers know it is time to wake up are a classic but not one your neighbors will appreciate.
Roosters are much louder than their hen counterparts, and if keeping a quiet flock is your goal, then avoiding roosters should be a priority.
If you do find a big rose comb and large wattle, it may be a sign leading to rehoming or butcher time.
However, it is hard to tell until the bird is 8 weeks old.
Roosters will always be noisy, no matter the breed you choose, so if you’re focusing on a quiet option, then keep this in mind.
Related Post: Wyandotte chickens and feather-sexing
Ways To Keep The Noise Down
A happy chicken is a quiet chicken; giving them everything they need will go a long way to keep them from complaining.
In my experience with chicken keeping, I’ve found if chickens run out of one of three things, they’ll complain loudly: food, water, or space.
Supplying a high-quality feed appropriate for their development stage is the first step in keeping them healthy.
However, if you have the space to let your Wyandottes free range, they will happily keep pests down and forage for most of their diets.
Fresh water is another necessity that will cause them to loudly let you know if they don’t have it.
Especially in the summer, providing them with cool water will keep these active birds from being loud.
Space is the third requirement these birds need, and the space needs to be large enough to accommodate the whole flock and safe from predators.
Since Wyandotte are a hardy breed, many chicken owners will opt for free-ranging them or using a coop tractor setup to move them from place to place.
Wyandottes are amazing birds for surviving in tough conditions and will actively scratch and search for food, so giving them space to do so will keep them entertained and focused.
This means they’ll only make happy quieter noises rather than loud complaining noises.
Read more: Are Wyandotte Chickens Heat Tolerant?
Characteristics Of The Wyandotte Chicken
For the most part, the Wyandotte chicken is a docile, non-aggressive bird that will get along with other breeds but is also a dominant bird that will be at the top of the pecking order.
Further reading: Are Wyandotte chickens aggressive or friendly?
However, they do not make great family birds with small children, as they are likely to lash out if threatened but unlikely to make the first move.
They are a heritage breed originally bred for colder climates and provide eggs and meat.
This particular breed fell out of style for a long time, but the resurgence of homesteaders has made this a popular choice again.
Finding a dedicated breeder is much easier now than it used to be a decade ago.
It is easy to contact breeders and have a box of these specialty chicks shipped to your door.
The physical characteristics of this bird include large size of 8-9 pounds for the roosters and a respectable 6-7 pounds for the hen.
Bantam varieties are also available, with a manageable 1.5-2 pounds.
The color varieties range from silver and gold laced to blue laced red and black laced varieties.
These color variations also have the distinguishable mark of a Wyandotte with a unique speckled pattern.
Besides the color, Wyandotte is a very clean-looking bird with a small comb, non-feathered feet, and typically well-kept feathers on these fluffy birds.
These compact features are a part of what makes them so cold-tolerant, with a small comb unlikely to get frostbitten.
Read next: Are Leghorn chickens loud?
