Breeding Buff Leghorns

[danhonour]

Hi Chris,I was afraid to look at the degrees or lack of degrees this morning. I feel bad that we live so close and have not met.Toni says she plans to come up this spring to see you,so I hope I get to see her and talk chickens. I guess it is still in the planning stage,but I wonder if she plans to drive,fly,or take the train? Well think warm thoughts of spring.

 

[chrisf]

Yes, I dont care how she gets here, but we will definitely rendezvous and have our own little "chickenstock.".......I hope she can drag David too. We would like to visit Cy as well, I've been to see him twice. Looking forward to meeting you.........................................................................Chrisf

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Ideal Poultry Farm's Buff Leghorns

Ideal owed me a credit from last year, so I have placed my order to use the credit. All are birds for my Buff Chantecler project. I have added a few Buff Leghorns to the order. Will post photos of them when they are larger. Chicks should be here Feb 9. I know Dan was asking awhile back if anyone had seen the Ideal's Buff Leghorn. If they are good enough, we may bring them to Crossroads this fall. If nothing else, it will put some better egg laying into my Chanteclers project.

 

[danhonour]

Thanks Jim,Try to raise them out and see how they end up,how big are they,as how good of layers they are,what size eggs,what shell color,etc. The two cases I know about that got some,did not keep them long enough to really evaluate them.I was told the color was not very good and they were small,wild and high tailed.They were not kept to maturity. I am not expecting them to be great,but yet I would like to be fair.It would be nice to get an idea of the flock average egg yield.I wonder how they compare to commercial Buff Minorcas.I wonder if either would be of use to Standard bred Buff Leghorn breeders?

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

I will only need them for a couple of months once they start producing. Perhaps I can pass them on to you at Crossroads. That is, if they start producing before then. How old should the males and females be to start producing? I am use to the exhibition Orps and Buckeyes. Our Buff Ducks started laying at 5 months old.

 

[danhonour]

Hi Jim,take pictures and notes for us.Leghorns with good care usually are start laying at 5-6 mos.Once in a while 4 1/2 mos.,the small egg bred commercial lines,even 4 months.The big,slower maturing lines might take 7,but time of year they are hatched,housing,weather,free range,etc are all factors,even within a commercial line.Nothing new here,but it also why the egg farms like a big number of a certain strain cross,so they can control them as a group with all very similar traits,variation within a group is a no-no.

 

[silkieluver_07]

Hey everyone, thought I might join the thread. Looks like I'm heading down to Maryland to look at a flock of buff leghorns (2 cockerels, 9 pullets). Wish me luck and hope you all will help me with input if I decide to get them.

http://www.whitmorefarm.com/content/5063 Pics are on this site.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Went to the link. If I was you, I would not get them.....uhhh....what was the fellows phone number........nope would not get them...... anyone know the fellows number.....

Seriously, the photos look good to me. Price seems good too. Hope you do well with them!

 

[Birch Run Farm]

What is wrong with the birds, Jim? I see a little white on the pullet but over all their color looks decent. What are you seeing? Looking at this as an educational critique.

 

[danhonour]

Ann I think he was joking.The last line says,seriously,they look good.Jim can correct us. I believe the guy in Md. had contacted me some time ago for some stock(Will Marrow????),then saw some pale lemon Buff Leghorns at the Pa.Farm show and decided he did not like them .He must have found some later .It would be good to find out the bloodlines of these when you get them.Down that way the nearest breeders would be Tom Roebuck and Doug Cauthorn,but he could have gotten them elsewhere. The birds are not posed very good to tell their shape,they have some merits and drawbacks like most birds.Good luck with them.