Reputation of White Leghorn hens?

[Robert Kazlauski]

My WLs were the most skittish and flighty hens I've ever had but also the least chatty. I am down to one old WL hen and I can't remember the last time I heard her voice.

When they say that WL are flighty, what does that mean really?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

When they say that white leghorns are flighty, what does that really mean?

My leghorns were brown, not white. I had five of them. And they were def "flighty." Now my experience is just that - my own. Yours may be different. But what it means to me is that right from the start they were scared of me in a way my EE, which I got at the same time, were not. At just a few days old, when I would go into the brooder (the well house) to offer meal worms, the EE would quickly come running. The leghorns would run away screaming and flapping, and hide. And they continued to do that the entire time we had them, which was at least 3 years. They always reacted to us with panic and terror although we fed treats twice a day. However I have to say we never lost a Leghorn to predators and I think we lost 6 EEs. So flightiness can be a blessing as well as a curse. And I don't recall them being at all noisy.

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

My leghorns were brown, not white. I had five of them. And they were def "flighty." Now my experience is just that - my own. Yours may be different. But what it means to me is that right from the start they were scared of me in a way my EE, which I got at the same time, were not. At just a few days old, when I would go into the brooder (the well house) to offer meal worms, the EE would quickly come running. The leghorns would run away screaming and flapping, and hide. And they continued to do that the entire time we had them, which was at least 3 years. They always reacted to us with panic and terror although we fed treats twice a day. However I have to say we never lost a Leghorn to predators and I think we lost 6 EEs. So flightiness can be a blessing as well as a curse. And I don't recall them being at all noisy.

Thank you for the reply. I felt dumb asking for the definition of FLIGHTY. But, I didnt know if people meat panicky ad made a lot of noise, or if they meant that leghorns were known to be able to fly and escape. Do you think neighbors would complain about the noise?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you for the reply. I felt dumb asking for the definition of FLIGHTY. But, I didnt know if people meat panicky ad made a lot of noise, or if they meant that leghorns were known to be able to fly and escape. Do you think neighbors would complain about the noise?

Truly depends on the neighbors. Be sure to share eggs with them, early and often. A little diplomacy, I've heard, can go a long way. Also be sure your chickens can't escape the confines of your property, no matter what. Imagine the relations between neighbors if your chicken gets in their yard, and their dog injures or kills your chicken. Or, if your chickens get in their yard and destroy their prize petunias or tomatoes. Not having a rooster, if you have near neighbors, is an excellent idea, as is being in compliance with any HOAs or local restrictions.

No, to me flighty meant they're not going to make lap-sitting pets. If panicked and cornered, they might go over a fence, so if you need to clip a wing or handle them for any purpose, don't think you're going to catch them by day. Instead go into the coop at night while they're roosting and use a red head lamp to help you see what you're doing. Good luck to you!

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

Truly depends on the neighbors. Be sure to share eggs with them, early and often. A little diplomacy, I've heard, can go a long way. Also be sure your chickens can't escape the confines of your property, no matter what. Imagine the relations between neighbors if your chicken gets in their yard, and their dog injures or kills your chicken. Or, if your chickens get in their yard and destroy their prize petunias or tomatoes. Not having a rooster, if you have near neighbors, is an excellent idea, as is being in compliance with any HOAs or local restrictions.

No, to me flighty meant they're not going to make lap-sitting pets. If panicked and cornered, they might go over a fence, so if you need to clip a wing or handle them for any purpose, don't think you're going to catch them by day. Instead go into the coop at night while they're roosting and use a red head lamp to help you see what you're doing. Good luck to you!

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

Thanks for the great reply

 

[Robert Kazlauski]

Thanks for the great reply

 

[Coops Dad]

I have three brown Leghorns in my flock and they're pretty much the same, maybe 10-20% less panicky that the WLs. They were raised by hand in a brooder in our sunroom along with a half dozen RIRs. The RIRs are literally hand tame as adults; one can walk by and I reach down, pick it up and give it a good once-over, and it won't struggle to escape. The BL and WL won't let me get within 5 feet without amping up their energy levels and looking "darty". Hard to describe but you'll know it if you see it.

Our WLs were hawk magnets. Our BLs have been overlooked so far. I credit the coloring; our flock free ranges in a long grass pasture and the BLs are nearly invisible. The WLs stand out boldly.

 

[PoppasGrill]

Our Leghorns are friendly with us, though they are food aggressive , as they will try to chase the younger hens away from food, even when they already have a beak full.
Not noisy, except when laying, but normally they don’t talk back like our RIR or Brahma Lites do.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That is another factor. I gave up on white birds years ago due to predation, I now stick to more neutral or black birds.