Anyone have white leghorn rooster experience?

[24Elsinore]

For what it's worth the first chicken I ever really had much experience with is a white leghorn rooster. He hatched a day early and was cuddled a lot so he is pretty docile. He is also part of a large flock with a few dominant roosters and he never seems that competitive, at least with the humans. He doesn't like being picked up, but he is more than happy to sit next to you, be fed snacks and be pet. His name is Fluffy.

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

Leghorns can be a bit more skittish than other breeds. I have one rooster and one hen (and a few half bred hens). As far as roosters go, I actually like the skittishness of the leghorn because he is less likely to try challenging me and more likely to just run away.
It is slightly difficult to tell from your pictures of the comb is pinking up, but I am leaning pullet for now.

Great info thanks so much for sharing your experience and insight! I really appreciate it! I’m leaning toward pullet now too.

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

Hi there! lll tell you a little bit about my experience with my leghorn rooster Omelet.I hatched him on 05 18 20. He was the tiniest one and was the only male in that hatch we got lucky lol but at that time we didn't know it yet. He was loved and cuddled every day. Veary winey little guy.He grew big so fast soo sweet until...............he wasn't. He got his hormones for sure and turned into a butthead for reals. Leghorns are known to turn veary agresive and i knew this becuse i was warned so i did extensive research on that breed so i tried to prepare. So far since his hormones started coming in the beginning he had bitten my face 3 times and flogged me twice.I had to keep putting the booger back in his place i didnt give up! spray bottle works wonders! but anyways i worked with him for a couple of weeks after that.Now he knows who is boss and who feeds him. He has not attacked me since i dont need the water bottle any more but he wont let anyone in the coop except me though.Im still working on him if anyone else is around they have to carry the spray bottle he takes one look at the bottle and walks away crowing as if throwing tantrum. Hes learning and still young. Hes about to turn a year old. He loves his hens and is a gentleman but he loves his little silkie rooster more. He throws a fit and crows and crows and will try to flogg anyone but me if they pick his silke roo up or take him out of the coop. He loves his little man more then his hens lol. Omelet and his silke roo are inseparable they cuddle every night.
Omlet when he was 4 wees old
View attachment 2596983Omelet at 9 weeks old.The red didnt apear until 7-8 weeksView attachment 2596985Omelet Now as his booger selfView attachment 2596986Omelet with his silkie rooster , Cookie monster who he loves more than his ladys (not joking) you can pick up his ladys but not his little man View attachment 2596988
Just be aware that if he is a roo no matter how much love you give him or hold him as a baby they eventually turn into buttheads when you least expect it. Im talking about night and day sweet heart to butthead so you have to work with them. Ive read that most of them chill out after working with them like mine has. They are great with their hens Best of luck!!!

Thanks for sharing! Really appreciate the info! my little one is only 4-5 weeks so maybe I could still have a roo. Guess I will know better in another 3-4 weeks.

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

White Leghorns are great egg layers, and not as big at maturity as the heavier breeds. I have noticed however that they are just as big or maybe even bigger than some of the larger breeds at hatching. They grow and mature faster, with well pronounced combs. They can be very flighty in comparison. I have had several hens and one rooster of the breed. I called him a vile little creature. He was aggressive and would fly up at my face trying to flog me. He was so fast I never could thwart him.

Ugh I hope we don’t have a roo. I think there are spur bumps on its legs but still no sign of waddles and comb is still no trace of red. He/she is 6 weeks old approx.

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

View attachment 2587975
I will try to get a better one soon! They are sleeping but the little leghorn is closest to wall of brooder

Do you have any pictures of the little one?

New photos about 6 weeks now

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

I would still lean towards pullet

Oh I sure hope so! Haha cuz I think I have two more potential Roos but different breeds. Three or four Roos might be too much for us. The Leghorn is definitely the leader of the flock though for sure but I know that is typical of the breed. I saw it yawning/gagging yesterday that looked suspiciously like silent crowing attempts so...I guess I just need to be patient. It’s so hard!!!! Haha

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

My leghorn roosters comb didnt turn red till 7 and a half to 8 weeks old. At 6 weeks old he looked just like yours does in the above photo.

Thanks, that’s really interesting. They are all individuals in the end so they develop slightly faster and slower even in the same breed. Lol we just have to be patient I suppose. It’s definitely a bossy little bugger already but hens can be too.

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

For what it's worth the first chicken I ever really had much experience with is a white leghorn rooster. He hatched a day early and was cuddled a lot so he is pretty docile. He is also part of a large flock with a few dominant roosters and he never seems that competitive, at least with the humans. He doesn't like being picked up, but he is more than happy to sit next to you, be fed snacks and be pet. His name is Fluffy.

Cool thanks for sharing your experiences! He sounds so sweet! I think mine is pulley now at 8 weeks still no waddles and no red or pink in the comb. I do think I will have a Swedish flower roo because one of those chicks I have does have red waddles starting and comb starting to turn at base and he is two weeks younger! But back to my leghorn. It can be scrappy and I think It/she will definitely be a head hen but she also seems gentle when she is giving corrections. I feel like a lot of what I’ve read online isn’t true about leghorns. A friend has a leghorn hen that always wants to crawl in your lap and my baby seems to be bent towards that too. A lot of folks on here like yourself have said how friendly theirs are.

 

[Livinthedozierdream]

So she’s 11 weeks old now and I’m pretty convinced pullet. Just wanted to give an update.

 

[Painted Calls]

So she’s 11 weeks old now and I’m pretty convinced pullet. Just wanted to give an update.

Pullet!