Exchequer LEGHORNS

FuzzyButtz said:

Interesting.. good thing I just have mine for eggs! I had 3 to choose from and I chose the darkest, lol! I personally prefer black to white though, so that's probably why I was drawn to her the most!

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To FuzzyButtz: Your girl is BEAUTIFUL. Just wondering if you noticed after her 1st moult if she came in w/ more white feathers? On feathersite.com they have black & white feathered birds go completely white by their 5th or 6th moults. An interesting phenomenon which is probably equivalent to humans going gray-haired in old age. Exchequers, mind you, are sports of the White Leg so it makes sense that they eventually can turn all white in later years.

Another question - do you classify your girl's comb as huge floppy or medium less floppy? My White Leg had a medium size comb her 1st year & by age 3 had an enormous flop over one side of her head which I think made her more skittish than our Buff Leg who has a small-medium comb with a slight flop. Smiles

i would like to buy a exquecher leghorn rooster, if somebody has an extra let me know

I have an exchequer chick named Friendly. she (as the name portrays) is the friendliest of all my breeds. (breeds being Jersey Giants, silkies, & polish) once you sit down she jumps straight on your lap, and don't dare bend over because she will jump on your back too! they're great, as laying goes, I can't really say much. she's only 8 inches tall!

tayboonexx said:

I have an exchequer chick named Friendly. she (as the name portrays) is the friendliest of all my breeds. (breeds being Jersey Giants, silkies, & polish) once you sit down she jumps straight on your lap, and don't dare bend over because she will jump on your back too! they're great, as laying goes, I can't really say much. she's only 8 inches tall!

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Exchequers were discovered as sports of White Leghorns in Scotland so will have the same nature as White Legs. We've gone through a couple Leghorn hens in 3 years - one White and one Buff. Both started out friendly and the White Leg was the alpha of a flock of one Marans, two Silkies, one Ameraucana, and one Buff Leg. She was 3 years old and had been the most humane and gentle alpha of our backyard flock. However, after her severe 3rd year moult she got obnoxiously aggressive, chasing the smaller Silkies, knocking hens out of the nesting boxes even though she wasn't laying an egg herself, crowding all the others away from the feed and water even though she wasn't herself eating anything, and chasing dust-bathing hens out of their holes even though she wasn't bathing herself, she jumped or attacked snoozing hens, etc. We loved her for 3 years but she was getting dangerous and we had to re-home her to a friend's layer flock where she is still laying beautiful XL eggs. Our gentle Buff Leg pullet went broody after one year - she was broody for 6 weeks, then she came out of her broody by chasing the gentle Ameraucana pulling out her beard and chin muffs completely bald and then she started chasing the Silkies to yank out their crests. We sadly had to re-home her also. The Marans also was re-homed because of attacking and clawing a 6-month-old Silkie pullet.

Mediterranean Class breeds (Leghorns, Andalusians, Anconas, Minorcas, Catalanas, Black Spanish, etc) are not shrinking violets and do not back down from challenges. One owner swears Leghorns are so cannibalistic that they go out of their way to chew off other chickens' combs and wattles or get overly aggressive with attacks. Because Mediterranean breeds are not shrinking violets they should not be mixed with bantams or gentle-natured breeds like Silkies, Cochins, Ameraucanas, Araucanas, EEs, Polish, Houdans, Faverolles, Bredas, and maybe not Brahmas or Sussex either since those LF are considered gentler than most LF.

I absolutely adore Legs for numerous reasons and they easily adapt to being lap chickens. My folks had them so I was familiar with them. However I never saw them in a mixed flock on the farm so had no idea how very aggressive they are toward other breeds - especially gentle ones like Silkies, Polish, Ameraucanas, and EEs. I believe Leghorns are delightful but certainly not in a mixed flock of bantams or gentle LF as we sadly learned.

FuzzyButtz said:

Well I only brought one Exchequer hen home instead of 3, but here she is.

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Do they do good in the cold?

FuzzyButtz said:

Well I only brought one Exchequer hen home instead of 3, but here she is.

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Are those Hedemoras hanging out with your Exchequer? Beautiful photo.

matt44644 said:

Do they do good in the cold?

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Exchequers are identical to White Leghorns - 'chequers are a sport from White Leghorns. So whatever you research about White Leghorns should apply to 'chequers. However I have seen reviews where breeders have complained about the chicks being delicate - perhaps from an inbred flock?

Since the APA has not accepted the Exchequer variety, do any of you have suggestions on how to breed? I'm assuming the basics for body type, comb, wattles, etc., would be the same as other accepted varieties, but what about leg color, eye color, and feathering. There seems to be a lot of disagreement on how much black vs white. I'm also concerned with leg coloring. Please feel free to share any details there! Finding Excheqs with yellow legs seems to be proving difficult.

Someone suggested using the SOP for the bantam that the ABA has, but I don't want to buy the whole book for that one description (I don't raise any bantams). Can anyone share that description? Also, I'm guessing there is probably an SOP for a European poultry organization - can anyone share that one?

TIA! Below are some of the chickens I am currently working with.