Post Pics of your Leghorns

[mschlumb]

I read a rather old publication recently that indicated the need for both light and dark brown leghorns in order to have correct and well marked male and female light brown leghorns.  Has this been the experience of those here?

Your on the right track but I think you may be a little confused.
In 1874 when brown leghorns were admitted, there was no distinction between light and dark brown leghorns. They were admitted as just brown leghorns. As people began to breed them they had a general preference for the dark wine red males (dark brown) and the light olive gray females (light brown). Standards then changed to fit the trend. And the gap between male and female lines became larger and larger. This eventually lead to the need to double mate in order to produce both exhibition males and females.

That was the abbreviated version of the story. There was a huge controversy among poultry people as to whether or not that should've been done.

Eventually in 1922 the APA split the single comb brown leghorn into light and dark.
The rose comb brown got split into light and dark in 1933.
Today you do not need to cross the two varieties in order to consistently produce well marked males and females, of either light or dark brown.

I know lights have been crossed with darks to improve the type of the darks.

 

[Pozees]

Your on the right track but I think you may be a little confused.
In 1874 when brown leghorns were admitted, there was no distinction between light and dark brown leghorns. They were admitted as just brown leghorns. As people began to breed them they had a general preference for the dark wine red males (dark brown) and the light olive gray females (light brown). Standards then changed to fit the trend. And the gap between male and female lines became larger and larger. This eventually lead to the need to double mate in order to produce both exhibition males and females.
That was the abbreviated version of the story. There was a huge controversy among poultry people as to whether or not that should've been done.
Eventually in 1922 the APA split the single comb brown leghorn into light and dark.
The rose comb brown got split into light and dark in 1933.
Today you do not need to cross the two varieties in order to consistently produce well marked males and females, of either light or dark brown.
I know lights have been crossed with darks to improve the type of the darks.

Okay, thanks, this book says something about markings becoming faded if you don't put a dark brown male over the light brown females for well-marked females, and the reverse for good markings on the males, but it was written a looong time ago, 1920, the Lamon and Slocum book, "The Mating and Breeding of Poultry," which is why I wanted to know if this still applied. I assumed the issue had been overcome in the intervening decades, but wasn't sure.

 

[mschlumb]

Okay, thanks, this book says something about markings becoming faded if you don't put a dark brown male over the light brown females for well-marked females, and the reverse for good markings on the males, but it was written a looong time ago, 1920, the Lamon and Slocum book, "The Mating and Breeding of Poultry," which is why I wanted to know if this still applied.  I assumed the issue had been overcome in the intervening decades, but wasn't sure.

I am sure back then at the time the lights and darks were split it was probably Necessary, But really doesn't apply to today.

 

[Pozees]

I am sure back then at the time the lights and darks were split it was probably Necessary, But really doesn't apply to today.

Excellent - I am getting some L browns from Mr. Urch this coming spring and was panicking thinking I had to remake my order I want to send in my order this next week and didn't really want to revise it again LOL. Do you have an opinion on RC vs SC?

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I have one brown LH hen (named Coco.) and she's a spoiled rat! But I love her just the same. She lays me one LARGE white egg, everyday.









I'll post more pictures later.

 

[mschlumb]

Excellent - I am getting some L browns from Mr. Urch this coming spring and was panicking thinking I had to remake my order   I want to send in my order this next week and didn't really want to revise it again LOL.  Do you have an opinion on RC vs SC?

Well as far as popularity goes the SC's are more popular. I personally like both of them, and both are worthy of preservation. Just pick your favorite! Or did you have a more specific question?


As a side note if you are interested in brown leghorns I really suggest you join the brown leghorn club. I am a member and I must say it is one of the best groups of guys you'd ever hope to be around. They have been very helpful to me and are always willing to share knowledge and experiences. The newsletter usually has some very helpful articles in it, and our secretary always has a good article put in the poultry press. In my opinion we have the best of leadership who are more interested in preserving and furthering the brown leghorns than personal gain. They really put the breed before themselves. I also think we are one of the oldest if not the oldest breed club in the US. And if course it's a great way to network with brown leghorn enthusiasts.

 

[Pozees]

Well as far as popularity goes the SC's are more popular. I personally like both of them, and both are worthy of preservation. Just pick your favorite! Or did you have a more specific question?

My personal preference is RC, but wondered whether they deal with heat as well as SC? I am in CO, which can be plenty cold in winter and plenty hot in summer, at 5400 ft elevation. I don't really like that flopped over comb on SC hens, just me, and think RC are less prone to frostbite as well as more attractive.

 

[mschlumb]

I h

My personal preference is RC, but wondered whether they deal with heat as well as SC?  I am in CO, which can be plenty cold in winter and plenty hot in summer, at 5400 ft elevation.  I don't really like that flopped over comb on SC hens, just me, and think RC are less prone to frostbite as well as more attractive.

I have kept both SC and RC here in northwest Ohio and our summers can get in the upper 90's and very humid. The RC's seemed to take it as well as the SC's. I think rose combs would do fine in Colorado summers.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

My personal preference is RC, but wondered whether they deal with heat as well as SC? I am in CO, which can be plenty cold in winter and plenty hot in summer, at 5400 ft elevation. I don't really like that flopped over comb on SC hens, just me, and think RC are less prone to frostbite as well as more attractive.

Just thought I'd share about mine. My SC ladies got frostbite the first night it got to 30. Here, we get over 100 in summers and both RC and SC did great. Now that we're in winter, my RC leghorn is out in an unheated shed and we've gotten near 0 at nights, she is laying a HUGE white egg every day. The SC lady is in a heated shed and has just now started laying again after 2 months of being off due to her incident. So, overall I would say that in my experience with light brown leghorns, the rose combed birds are much better in the heat and cold

 

[cubakid]

These pics of my F3 Mille Fleur Leghorns are from Sept 8th, They have grown so much and so many nice ones to choose from. I'll try to get current pics this weekend - I'd love to get everyones opinions on which roosters to keep, I'll submit for your ideas as soon as I can

Personally I like the second male pictured. More leg under him, more sweep in the back and still maintaining the breast. Not as cobby as the first male.