Breeding Buff Leghorns

[Rebecky54]

Duane Urch has Buff Leghorns, but I'd really like to get a pullet or two. Does anyone have good quality adult stock for sale?

Thanks,

Becky in NoDak heading back to the deep freeze

 

[danhonour]

Dave, I did take some pictures as I went which proves I had Buff Phoenix.I was surprised thatn I was able to breed out the slate leg color.So it can be done with Buff Minorcas and Buff Orpingtons ,etc. Dan Honour

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
This bird got DQ? The judge was an idiot!

 

[Birch Run Farm]

I cleared the leghorn yard out with the snow blower this past weekend so they can get outdoors again. It is time for me to photograph the cockerel I kept for you all to evaluate him. He's a spaz though as he was parent raised and I didn't handle him at all. Now all I need is a sunny morning to get some photos.

 

[danhonour]

To me the hardest area on a bird to get solid buff is the tail on males of Buff Leghorns and too a lesser degree Buff Minorcas.Since Buff Leghorns have the longest main tails,main sickles,lesser sickles and lesser tail coverts,of any buff breed,they pose the greatest buff color challenge.It is usually where you will see a partial cream feather ,chestnut brown or darker red feather.Many times you will not see it in a cockerel until the feathers are fully finished,as it can be at the lower (base) of the feathers (nearer the under fluff). If you have a solid buff cock bird,especially one of 3 or 4 years or more,then you have a bird that passes the ultimate buff color test.This cock bird should be used as long as he lives and is fertile,for he is an outstanding buff color individual. Allow a bit of slack here for injuries,health and management.It takes good care and health for older males to molt in and it takes months for the longer feathers to grow.Shorter tailed birds are quicker to molt,but medium length and longer tailed birds are the ultimate,they test both the bird and the breeder.You have to be a good care giver and conditioner.With all this being said,Leghorns are suppose to be hardy and practical birds.You do not want the non-molting gene,the slow feathering gene,or the narrow feather gene.Narrow feathers with thin weak feather shafts,are feathers that do not wear well and are brittle and brake easily.

 

[ArieBLB]

Quote:
Hi Dan and Tom, my birds layed sometimes also long thin (elongated bullet) eggs. And some layed the tinted eggs. I use only white eggs. I use the tinted eggs only if I have no choice or because the chicken that lays a tinted egg excels in all respects.
I agree with Dan that the colored eggs come from the Crossing of the Buff Plymouth Rock.

 

[cochinman2005]

Quote:
Hi Dan and Tom, my birds layed sometimes also long thin (elongated bullet) eggs. And some layed the tinted eggs. I use only white eggs. I use the tinted eggs only if I have no choice or because the chicken that lays a tinted egg excels in all respects.
I agree with Dan that the colored eggs come from the Crossing of the Buff Plymouth Rock.

Another interesting note. Last season I hatched a few chicks from a Leghorn/ Minorca cross. I kept two that have very nice color. The female has some pepper in her tail but very good leghorn type as does the male. Both have white legs. They both have good size as well, and as I said favor the leghorn type. Right now I have the male in with some Minorca pullets, and the female is in a pair mating with the best of the Leghorn males I raised last year. Later I'll match the male up with what I consider my best couple leghorn females and hopefully I'll get some decent leghorns from both of those breedings. I am using the male with Minorcas because of his color and overall size. At any rate, the Minorcas have been laying tinted eggs. At least the Buff Minorcas have been. I did a cross to Black Minorcas a couple years ago, and the egg color on the crosses is white. The white legged female from the leghorn X minorca cross is laying a slightly tinted egg. Just thought it was interesting how much influence I see even after a cross to strain that I get nice white eggs from. Couple pics of the birds I am talking about below...
White Legged Male (in with Minorcas)

Leghorn Male

White legged female

 

[Birch Run Farm]

One of my young cockerels

What do you think so far? He's got a lot of growing to do yet.

 

[Birch Run Farm]

One of the pullets, Sassy. She is getting to be a very bossy young pullet.

Photo taken with flash so she is bled out in color.

 

[ArieBLB]

Quote:
Hi Dan and Tom, my birds layed sometimes also long thin (elongated bullet) eggs. And some layed the tinted eggs. I use only white eggs. I use the tinted eggs only if I have no choice or because the chicken that lays a tinted egg excels in all respects.
I agree with Dan that the colored eggs come from the Crossing of the Buff Plymouth Rock.

Another interesting note. Last season I hatched a few chicks from a Leghorn/ Minorca cross. I kept two that have very nice color. The female has some pepper in her tail but very good leghorn type as does the male. Both have white legs. They both have good size as well, and as I said favor the leghorn type. Right now I have the male in with some Minorca pullets, and the female is in a pair mating with the best of the Leghorn males I raised last year. Later I'll match the male up with what I consider my best couple leghorn females and hopefully I'll get some decent leghorns from both of those breedings. I am using the male with Minorcas because of his color and overall size. At any rate, the Minorcas have been laying tinted eggs. At least the Buff Minorcas have been. I did a cross to Black Minorcas a couple years ago, and the egg color on the crosses is white. The white legged female from the leghorn X minorca cross is laying a slightly tinted egg. Just thought it was interesting how much influence I see even after a cross to strain that I get nice white eggs from. Couple pics of the birds I am talking about below...
White Legged Male (in with Minorcas)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/15970_dscn0760a.jpg

Leghorn Male
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/15970_dscn0773a.jpg

White legged female
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/15970_dscn0776a.jpg

Hi Tom, You have dark colored leggs on that Buff Minorca female in the first picture?
Me was told that it was not possible to get that dark legcolor.
I take my hat off to you. How many generations did you need to get the leggs dark?