Quick Answer: Australorp, Cochin, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, and Brahma are the breeds most consistently named as the quietest standard chicken breeds, while Silkies are the quietest bantam option if egg count matters less than noise. None of them are silent — every hen has a loud “egg song” after laying — but they keep the baseline clucking and alarm-calling down. The real noise gap isn’t between breeds, though: a hen tops out around 60-70 decibels (normal conversation), while a rooster’s crow can reach roughly 130 decibels, closer to a jet engine. Skipping the rooster does more for a quiet flock than any breed choice.
Most “quiet chicken breed” lists just hand you a name list without explaining how loud a chicken actually gets, or that breed choice is a distant second to the hens-vs-rooster decision. Here’s the quietest-breed shortlist, the real decibel numbers behind chicken noise, and what still makes noise even in the calmest flock.
Quietest breeds compared
| Breed | Noise Level | Eggs/Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australorp | Very quiet | 250-300 | Calm, productive dual-purpose bird — the default "quiet + practical" pick |
| Cochin | Very quiet | 150-180 | Large, unhurried, rarely startled into alarm-calling |
| Wyandotte | Quiet | 200-260 | Composed temperament, cold-hardy, good all-around suburban bird |
| Rhode Island Red | Quiet | 250-300 | Hardy, high-output layer that stays low-key outside egg song |
| Brahma | Quiet | 150-200 | Gentle giant, feathered legs, rarely flighty or vocal |
| Silkie | Extremely quiet | 100-120 | Quietest overall, but ornamental bantam with low egg output |
By the numbers
- Hens top out around 60-70 decibels at their loudest — roughly the same volume as normal human conversation — per Backyard Chicken Coops’ breakdown of chicken noise levels.
- A rooster’s crow can reach roughly 130 decibels at close range, which Fresh Eggs Daily’s Lisa Steele points out is in the same rough range as a jet engine, and far louder than a barking dog (about 90 decibels).
- Every hen produces an “egg song” — a burst of celebratory clucking right after laying — that runs noticeably louder than her baseline chatter, regardless of how “quiet” her breed reputation is.
1. Australorp — the default quiet-and-productive pick
Australorp started pullets or hatching eggs
- Combines a genuinely quiet temperament with some of the highest egg output on this list — no tradeoff between noise and production.
- Handles well and rarely alarm-calls, making it a low-drama choice for a suburban lot with close neighbors.
- Also ranks well on the friendliness side of things — see our friendliest chicken breeds guide.
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2. Wyandotte and Rhode Island Red — quiet, cold-hardy, high-output
Wyandotte or Rhode Island Red started pullets
- Both breeds are hardy across climates and stay low-key outside the normal egg song — a safe pick if you also want a serious layer.
- Wyandotte's cold-hardiness overlaps with our cold hardy chicken breeds shortlist if winter survival matters as much as noise.
- Neither breed's quiet reputation applies to a rooster of the same breed — crow volume is a rooster trait, not a hen one.
3. Silkie — the quietest breed overall, if egg count doesn’t matter
Silkie hatching eggs or started chicks
- Docile and low-volume even by quiet-breed standards, but a genuinely low egg producer compared to the dual-purpose picks above.
- Not waterproof and needs specific housing — see our best chicken coop for Silkies guide before committing.
- A good match for a small suburban lot where noise matters more than egg count.
Do this, not that
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Keep a hens-only flock if noise is the top concern — this matters far more than breed choice | Assume a "quiet breed" rooster will crow any quieter than a rooster of a loud breed |
| Expect and accept the egg song from every hen, quiet breed or not | Treat a breed's "quiet" reputation as a guarantee for every individual bird |
| Check local ordinances for hen caps even if roosters are already off the table | Assume a quiet breed exempts you from a per-hen headcount limit |
| Give hens easy, private nest-box access to reduce searching-related fussing | Crowd a flock into a small run and expect breed alone to keep noise down |
The bottom line
Australorp, Cochin, Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, and Brahma all deliver a genuinely calmer, quieter flock than noisier breeds like Leghorns, and Silkies go a step further if egg count isn’t the priority. But the decibel numbers make the real story clear: a hen’s loudest moment (60-70 dB) is roughly a normal conversation, while a rooster’s crow (up to ~130 dB) is closer to a jet engine. If a noise complaint is what you’re actually trying to avoid, skipping the rooster — not picking the “right” hen breed — is what solves it. For keepers stuck with a rooster they don’t want to rehome, our best no-crow rooster collar guide covers the humane middle ground.