Breed Questions: Leghorn.

[The Angry Hen]

I don't own Leghorns, but I have heard that they can be a bit skittish. But I do know that they are GREAT layers of large eggs. Good luck!

Thank you!

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the helpful imformation. Although some replies recommend against the breed due to slight aggression, I seem to me I find more good reviews than doubtful. I will definitely continue to do some research, but it seems even if I don't end up liking the breed... It's worth the experiment and I might enjoy learning along the way.

 

[BantyChooks]

Thank you!

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the helpful imformation. Although some replies recommend against the breed due to slight aggression, I seem to me I find more good reviews than doubtful. I will definitely continue to do some research, but it seems even if I don't end up liking the breed... It's worth the experiment and I might enjoy learning along the way.

If you don't like them there's always the soup pot, and then you know more about what you want for a flock.

 

[Pegasusi]

In June, I was adopted by a Leghorn who showed up in my yard and decided she was home. I have no idea how old she is or what her previous living conditions had been. She would only allow me to get within 3 feet of her and was terrified of dogs. Initially she would free range all day and roost in the Live Oaks at night. With the absence of the sickle and saddle feathers, I felt certain my squatter was a hen so I bought her a nesting box...she started laying daily shortly after. Within a couple of weeks, she was eating out of my hand, following me around the yard. She is very sociable....she even hangs out with my 110 pound dog-child. She relatively quiet with occasional soft clucking and purring noises. She now has her own coop with enclosed pen but still free ranges during the day. There is over 200 acres of woods behind my house and the area is loaded with daytime threats from ospreys, hawks, falcons and feral cats. The Leghorn is so aware of her surroundings and seems to be an air traffic controller with radar if a predator comes within a quarter mile of the property. I had tried to move her in the back fenced yard (6' fence). After 2 days she flew back to the front.....smart chickie....I discovered there was a 3 foot diameter nest in one of the tallest trees in the back. I set up her coop on the side of the house outside my bedroom window which also sheltered her from the heat of the afternoon sun and the prevalent winter winds.

Mrs "Tallulah" Winners (Leghorn) did go broody before I had finished building her coop. She refused to roost in the trees a night and stayed in her ground level nesting box. The area is loaded with night time predators (possum, raccoons, red fox, owls and black bears). To protect her, I would bring her and her nesting box inside at night. I did break her broodiest after I was able to move her to her coop by locking her out of the coop and only allowing access to the covered run area for several days.

She is atypical of the temperament I would have expected of the breed based on my research but that may be due to the prevalence of the breed being predominantly used by commercial egg producers with little to no human interaction. She is very attached to me. She will follow me into the house if I don't watch carefully. She allows me to pet her and pick her up....not her favorite thing but doesn't put up a fuss. The other day she was feeling "needy" and followed me to my car and wanted to get in. When I drove off, she followed the car down the driveway chasing after me "come back, come back". I had to turn around and lock her in the run! I'm sure she is lonely....she is an only feathered child but with a job transfer looming, we can't increase the flock until we know whether the new, undisclosed area allows backyard chickens.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you!

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the helpful imformation. Although some replies recommend against the breed due to slight aggression, I seem to me I find more good reviews than doubtful. I will definitely continue to do some research, but it seems even if I don't end up liking the breed... It's worth the experiment and I might enjoy learning along the way.

Absolutely.
Not every single chicken project I have done has been successful (Isbars, for example, were a total failure), but I have always learned something along the way that made me a better chicken keeper.

I've gone through a lot of breeds until I've settled on some favorites, which also gave perspective for my needs.

I think it is most important to define your goals for the birds you'd like to raise.

Eggs? Meat? Dual? Eye candy?

I chose egg color, and am breeding to get the most colorful and varied egg basket I can make.

Also purchase the best quality you can afford for your breeding stock, once you land on a breed. You can often get roosters very cheaply. You can also get eggs much cheaper than grown birds, but there is risk with incubating eggs, of course.

You might also consider keeping a separate brooding stable for the work gals to hatch your breed. I like my colorful eggs, but those breeds don't often brood as much or as often as I would like.

So I created a brooding stable of bantam Cochins and Silkies to do the job for me. Now, I don't need an all purpose breed that can lay prolifically beautiful, colorful eggs, with gorgeous plummage, AND brood as those are often contrary purposes.

Good luck on your project, and definitely keep us posted.

LofMc

 

[JumbeThePigDuck]

Hello everybody,

Good evening! How are you all today? The winter is coming... And for some it came! We just got about a quarter inch of snow today- not much- but something that signifies winter!

Lucky, I’m currently in ca, and it never snows. I think I’m surrounded by idiots though, as I was dying from the heat today while everyone else was wearing a jacket.

 

[starrmar006]

My leghorn gets out everyday, she finds away to get out, we double fenced the fence, clipped her wings and part of her tail, and be buried the fence to keep her from digging and she still finds away to get out but only in the summer time we call her white ninja LOL, but anyway she lays eggs a LOT everyday and her eggs are bigger then store bought, she can be stubborn, but that's what makes her a good chicken!

 

[JeanR]

Leghorns were developed for Commercial Farms for EGGS, nothing else. and of course Hatcheries supply them for the smaller producers of eggs. ANd they are available to all who just keep chickens for EGGS. They were developed for eggs and Setting was bred out. Egg producing chickens were not chosen for temperament, long life, just for producing eggs for profit--lovely white eggs. They use up their bodies laying eggs and are not expected to produce numbers (profit) of eggs for more than a couple of years. Well, lots of folks like their looks, put up with general wildness,(as in huge flocks, they do not have to make friends --they just eat and lay eggs.) After their 2-3 years, tey go into dog food--other chicken mixed foods-and are replaced with a new flock! And still, those who get just a couple from hatcheries for their home use, sometimes make nice pets (don't count on it) and still are not considered the best home chickens. The Sex Links and other "egg birds" named by different hatcheries, are crossbred by the hatcheries--their secret-- and do not breed true, if we keep them for breeding. they are more quiet birds and still lay lots of eggs, but not for more than a few years. Our standard breeds--many--are bred for beautiful shape, color, even temperament, lay fewer but plenty of eggs for 4,5 years or more, and become our precious friends. They will have rest times, with no eggs, may set and be wonderful mother hens for our new chicks, and we can choose what we like best. AND still, some Leghorns will meld with our flock, a few may SET, but may not be dependable mothers. Do your homework, then get whatever you want!! Good luck.

 

[Rye]

There is a lot of good info posted in this thread.

Leghorns are my favorite breed. Production, show, or backyards strains all seem to lay well, with the production strains taking the cake, and I enjoy them all. Well bred strains might just be the best looking chicken breed around with their curves and come in many colors.

In my experience Leghorns are "flighty" but that's not a bad thing. On pasture that nervousness keeps them out of trouble (most of the time) though they go looking for trouble sometimes because they are a little smarter than the average chicken. It also makes them one of the best foraging breeds and can save you of feed costs.

All that scrounging for food gives the eggs a great flavor and plenty of them over a long period of time.

I do not find them aggressive. I would say competitive yes, aggressive, no. Man aggression in production strains can be found because it is not culled for. Egg laying ability is all that matters. Show strains and backyard strains I find man aggression has been rare.

As far as meat goes, the chicken you get from KFC is the males from the commercial egg business. So they make pretty good fryers. Like any breed, you can breed for traits that you like. Bigger size, more breast meat, etc, but other traits could suffer.

A spatchcock cockerel on the grill is tasty and is enough for 2 people with plenty of other sides. With their small appetite, early maturity, and ranging ability, you can usually stock more birds, which means culling more birds, and more meat in the freezer overall when compared to heavier breeds.

There has been talk of low fertility among some of the Rose Comb birds. Fertility may suffer, but that doesn't equate to hatchability. You can keep SC birds and RC birds and cross the strains to maintain vigor and fertility in the RC strain.

As for going broody,it's rare. That's why they have nice numbers when it comes to eggs/year. If you want broodies, keep some orpingtons or another broody breed around as well.

 

[BantyChooks]

There has been talk of low fertility among some of the Rose Comb birds. Fertility may suffer, but that doesn't equate to hatchability. You can keep SC birds and RC birds and cross the strains to maintain vigor and fertility in the RC strain.

I think it's pure for rose birds that suffer fertility issues.

 

[BantyChooks]

Lucky, I’m currently in ca, and it never snows. I think I’m surrounded by idiots though, as I was dying from the heat today while everyone else was wearing a jacket.

CAers do seem to be rather weird at what they consider cold.