Anti White Leghorn Bias?

[gjensen]

I like all of the Leghorne varieties. Well bred birds are sharp.

 

[jessicadawn]

Forgive me for asking this question if it already has been asked in this thread but I just came upon it and don't have time to go through each page, HOWEVER, I am really interested in getting some really good laying non-white Leghorns. Is the Exchequer Leghorn a very good layer - 5 a week at least? Maybe I should be starting another thread.......

 

[DMRippy]

No body has asked so don't look for that. I don't think they lay as well as WL but they are good layers I THINK.... but they are pretty. If you find out let us know... I have an opportunity to get some and might if they are good layers.... I don't have spotted chickens yet....

 

[jessicadawn]

Thanks DM. I don't think any other variety of Leghorn or other heritage breed tops the white leghorn. I'm not looking for an egg everyday but 5 a week to balance out the breeds I keep for beauty and temperament only that give 3 or 4 a week would be nice.

Anyone else had experience with this variety?

No 'spotted' DM....what are you waiting for? Would they be more mottled than spotted?

 

[DMRippy]

Quote:
Either way I don't have them

 

[jessicadawn]

Quote:
Either way I don't have them

I understand - lol!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

There are MANY separate genes involved in egg colour; Chances of for the cross between a brown and white egg laying breeds to lay some shade or tint of brown are probably a bit more favourable than for laying pure white eggs.

 

[WyandotteTX]

I am surprised after reading this thread that "Mr White Leghorn" Dan Honour has not posted on this thread. He has a strain of White Leghorn's that he raises that can be traced back to pre-WW2. His and other exhibition White Leghorns are much larger than the hatchery variety. Amazing tails on those birds.
IF you want to know what a Leghorn crossed with anything else all you have to do is look at almost every hatchery variety of every other breed. Cherry Eggers, Red Sex Links etc are all hybrids of White Leghorns and Rhode Island and New Hampshire Reds........Thats why their eggs are not a very dark tint of brown. Leghorns were cross bred into other hatchery stock so that more eggs would be laid and there fore more chicks could be hatched to be sold.
White Leghorns are exceptional chickens in their ability to produce eggs but they do not produce the largest white eggs nor do they have a large meat carcass either.
If you do want the biggest white egg then you need a variety of Minorca, preferably White or the more common Black. Most of their eggs will grade out as XL and usually a chalky white as opposed to a glossy white like those of the White Leghorn. Carcass size is much larger though, a good full grown Minorca cock will weigh 10 lbs and fully developed hen will weigh over 7 lbs. They are very large birds and are extraordinary. Saw a nice big female at the show I went to today, she was enormous! There were WF Black Spanish and White Leghorns on each side of her and she was twice the size of even the Spanish males......

 

[farmerChef]

Quote:
Smal bodied, not small in size like a bantam, although there are bantam leghorns. Leghorns are thin and don't have much meat on them. I have 1 white hen, and 2 of her pullets (leghorn/ee and leghorn/game). I also have mottled anconas. I wish I could find some non hatchery Red Caps. I want Red pyle leghorns too, but I can't find any, I might have to 'make' them.

Feathersite's leghorn page
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry//CGK/Leghorns/BRKLeghorns.html

And for Red caps

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Redcap/BRKRedcap.html

 

[farmerChef]

Quote:
More like spotted. They have black and white feathers. Mottler is black feathers with a white tip.

Mottled Ancona

I think someone posted a pic of an Exchequer the page before