Are all Leghorns and Andalusians Spastic?

[The Monkey Mama]

I have some Brown Leghorn chicks and some Blue Andalusian chicks who are almost 4 weeks old now.

These chicks are crazy! They are the most spastic, wacko little things I've ever seen - they freak out and jump around like popcorn [like 2 feet straight up sometimes!] every time I go *near* the brooder box. My other chicks, by 4 weeks, had started figuring out that I was the "food lady" and were starting to tolerate me pretty well. These leghorns and andalusians are SO high strung though, they act like they are losing their minds if my shadow even falls across their brooder box....

Will they be high strung like this as adults? I have a bunch of black australorps, ameraucanas, cuckoo marans, and a buff orpington, new hampshire red, a random heavy breed mixed hen, and an araucana [sp?].... they were never like this. We have raised all of them from chicks...

I'm not sure I want to keep these Brown Leghorns and Blue Andalusians - I have a friend who really wants to buy them and I may let her if they are going to be this wacko their whole lives...

Any thoughts? Is this normal behavior for these chickens or are mine just more neurotic than normal? LOL!

Kelly

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Leghorns are pretty crazy. If you do a search for "leghorns" in these forums, you'll find a lot of comments similar to yours.

There are a few people who have somehow ended up with calmer ones, but that doesn't seem to be the norm.

I'm not sure if the Leghorns are just causing the Andalusians to freak out, or if that breed is also naturally insane. Maybe someone else has experience with those birds and can advise you.

 

[KLH2010]

I've never had andalusians but the four leghorn chicks I had were crazy like that, too. I ended up not keeping them. I decided I'd had enough when they started pecking my hand every time I reached in to feed them.

 

[herechickchick]

Yes Andalusians are spastic too.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

My leghorn hens are spastic and and my andalusian rooster is spastic (hes evil).

 

[Cuban Longtails]

My leghorns were like that in the brooder, but when I moved them to an outside coop they calmed down. They don't really want me touching or grabing them, but they won't run screaming the other way when I walk into the yard. Actually, they all maul me because they want food.

 

[Anne]

My leghorns were rescues from an egg farm that had gone out of business and left all the birds to die... They weren't "spastic" but they were pretty skittish. I eventually got them to the point where they would jump on my lap for food.

My Andalusians were the same way -- skittish and wary, but not spastic. Except for my Blue Andalusian rooster, Cuomo -- he was always calm and incredibly cuddly.

 

[Sparrow]

My 2 White Leghorn girls are seriously calm and cuddly. They are 12 weeks old. Sometimes when they are outside in the run they pop around and try to fly, but they are always wanting to be picked up and held. I think they are precious.

I have never seen an Andalusian in person.

 

[ella]

My 2 Blue Andalusian are fine. One is all over me the minute I go in the coop on my lap on my shoulders in my hair

. The other I can pick up though she doesn't like it.

I think enviroment has something to do with it, they are in with heavier calmer breeds.

 

[Davaroo]

Are all Leghorns and Andalusians Spastic?

By all reports, yes.
Some of this will depend on the keeper - some people have a higher tolerance for "spastic" than others.
How they report their birds behaviopr will be colored by that tolerance.
But it is generally accepted that the Mediterranean breeds are unfriendly, stand-offish and flighty ... in other words, spastic!​