Breeding Buff Leghorns

[Erin~TheChickenLover]

Great thread! I've had mostly hatchery stock for 7 years and am ready to get some higher quality birds this coming year. After researching breeds for several months, the leghorns are my favorites. I like how they are a relatively small bird that lays a large egg and eat less feed than say a Plymouth Rock. I also love the looks of leghorns. The buff color is one of my favorite color varieties and I'm hoping to get some buff leghorn hatching eggs this spring if anyone has them. In the meantime, I'll be reading through the thread.

 

[danhonour]

See a buff leghorn of Dan Honor at http://www.exhibitionpoultry.net/downloads/ep3-9.pdf

 

[Nomibear]

Good morning/afternoon! Just wanted to share some more current pics of my Buff leghorns. Today they are 22 weeks old. I am not getting any eggs from any of these girls yet. I also have some California white leghorns, and am getting eggs from 4 out of 9 of those girls.

Here are two of them.


This is a better shot of the coloring and comb and wattles of the one on the right in the above picture.


Buffy is the one on the far left. She was always the smallest, but is about the same sz now.


This is the one i posted about last month. She has and had the largest comb and wattles of all her hatch mates. Still don't think she's laying yet though...

 

[danhonour]

They are starting to comb up ,so they should start laying in a few weeks.

 

[ArieBLB]

Good morning/afternoon! Just wanted to share some more current pics of my Buff leghorns. Today they are 22 weeks old. I am not getting any eggs from any of these girls yet. I also have some California white leghorns, and am getting eggs from 4 out of 9 of those girls.

Here are two of them.


This is a better shot of the coloring and comb and wattles of the one on the right in the above picture.


Buffy is the one on the far left. She was always the smallest, but is about the same sz now.


This is the one i posted about last month. She has and had the largest comb and wattles of all her hatch mates. Still don't think she's laying yet though...

Very nice yellow leg color. As said by Dan, they go laying in a few weeks.
What are you going to with them? Holding as backyarders ore would you like to go breeding with them?
If you want go breeding with them look for an very good colored male that is buff to the skin. Even the shafts of the feathering needs to be buff. If you want to go showing then try to hold the birds in the shadow. The color then will not fade as fast as when they walk in the sun.

 

[Nomibear]

Very nice yellow leg color. As said by Dan, they go laying in a few weeks. 

What are you going to with them? Holding as backyarders ore would you like to go breeding with them? 

If you want go breeding with them look for an very good colored male that is buff to the skin. Even the shafts of the feathering needs to be buff. If you want to go showing then try to hold the birds in the shadow. The color then  will not fade as fast as when they walk in the sun.

Thank you Arie
From what I understand, it's better for chickens to not lay crazy early. While 5 of my 9 California whites are laying now at 23 weeks, I don't mind that the buff leghorns are not there yet.
I got these chickens just as a laying flock. Now that I know more about them, I would like to breed some. I don't have a Roo yet though. With no incubator, and no one near me who breeds BL's I would prob have to order another batch of chicks from ideal and add a BL Roo to the mix.
Showing sounds fun, and informative, but from all I've read here on BYC it's also very expensive. I already have several hobbies I'm putting money into, and I don't think I could handle another. Although I am looking into the 4H program... That may be the best way ($-wise) to have them seen....?

 

[cubakid]

Being in 4h is not any cheaper. Here in California you still pay entries whether your in 4h or not.

 

[math ace]

I am new to the breed and would like some feed back on my cockerel.
I am looking for ideas as to what needs improvement on him . . .
My goal would be to show his offspring in a couple of years.

He is a Standard size Buff leghorn and is around 6 to 7 months old.

In the picture, his true color is a little richer. For example, his legs are very yellow, yet they look washed out in the photo.


Here is a profile picture...



and here is a view from the front...

 

[mschlumb]

[COLOR=800080]I am new to the breed and would like some feed back on my cockerel.[/COLOR] [COLOR=800080]I am looking for ideas as to what needs improvement on him . . .[/COLOR] [COLOR=800080]My goal would be to show his offspring in a couple of years.[/COLOR] [COLOR=800080]He is a Standard size Buff leghorn and is around 6 to 7 months old.[/COLOR] [COLOR=800080]In the picture, his true color is a little richer. For example, his legs are very yellow, yet they look washed out in the photo.[/COLOR] [COLOR=800080]Here is a profile picture...[/COLOR] [COLOR=800080] [/COLOR] [COLOR=800080] [/COLOR] [COLOR=800080]and here is a view from the front...[/COLOR]

Your cockerel may be a little short sided, and I mean a very little. In other words I would like to see a little more body length from his legs back. Maybe he'll look better as he gets more mature. He is a little flat fronted, could use more breast. I would be more concerned with this than the length. But again maybe as he matures he may change a little. His wings could also be carried a little higher, or maybe he's just displaying a little bit, hard to tell. Otherwise not bad, he has a ways to go before his fully finished. But overall not a bad bird. Hope this was helpful

 

[math ace]

Your cockerel may be a little short sided, and I mean a very little. In other words I would like to see a little more body length from his legs back. Maybe he'll look better as he gets more mature.
He is a little flat fronted, could use more breast. I would be more concerned with this than the length. But again maybe as he matures he may change a little.
His wings could also be carried a little higher, or maybe he's just displaying a little bit, hard to tell. Otherwise not bad, he has a ways to go before his fully finished. But overall not a bad bird.
Hope this was helpful

This was helpful. . . .
I had not noticed an issue with the wings. I will look at them again tomorrow and see if it was just the pose.

The pullets with him do have longer backs, so I will keep an eye out for offspring with a longer back.

Are there any outlines / sketches that show what the leghorn type should look like? I have been collecting photos from the Poultry Press of the leghorn winners from the past year shows. I am seeing a big difference in winners from one show to another. When I started collecting the photos, I was hoping to find a consensus of what type consistently wins at shows.