Brown Leghorns: Pics, Info, and Resources

[IdyllwildAcres]

I have a Light Brown Leghorn, we were calling her Ester but my 8 year old just changed her name to Terri, short for teriaki... We think she is a he at 6 weeks her comb is the reddest of the bunch, he/she is also my smallest chicken. What do you all think?

 

[SueT]

We think she is a he at 6 weeks her comb is the reddest of the bunch, he/she is also my smallest chicken. What do you all think?

Is this your only leghorn? Leghorns will develop combs earlier than other breeds and they are a lighter weight breed. I can't see the color of the breast-- is that some orange feathering?...I have read that pullets have orangish breast feathers and cockerels have black. Anyone want to chime in on this? Mine all have orange breast feathers....here's one of them today, at 6 1/2 weeks.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Yes, orange breast feathers. I have a white leghorn as well. Comb is lighter. Just snapped another pic...

 

[SueT]

Yes, orange breast feathers. I have a white leghorn as well. Comb is lighter. Just snapped another pic...View attachment 549592View attachment 549593

Well, I still think it's a pullet. It definitely has orange breast feathers. Take a look at this white leghorn growth chart...
http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/embryology/ChickGrowthDevelopment17x22.pdf
It will be interesting to see what it turns out to be, keep us posted!

 

[Black_widow]

These are my 3 week old American leghorns. From what I have read on here I think they are pullets but would like your opinion they both have burgundy chest feathers if that helps
Thanks

 

[Alaskan]

You say burgandy.....I see salmon... whatever.

It means girl.

Also...in that chicken photo, it looks like the eye stripe is good and distinct. Females have a clear bold eye stripe.

 

[Finnie]

@IdyllwildAcres , @Black_widow

Here are some photos I took today of my brown leghorns. Until the cockerels began getting their black chest feathers, I too questioned whether my pullets were really pullets. People told me about the salmon vs black breast, but seeing it in person really made a difference. These pictures have male and female together, and you can see that the black on the males is unmistakeable. These chicks are 4 1/2 weeks old. One week ago today (Thursday) none of these breast feathers were there, and by Sunday, (4 week birthday) they all had their color, with a white stripe of down running down the middle of their chests. Now that down is rapidly disappearing.

The male behind the pullet:

Two pullets top left, one male on the right, one in the front left

(I did also notice that this photo also depicts the strong eyeliner stripe of the females vs the weaker lines on the males eyes.)

 

[SueT]

Here are two of my br. leghorn pullets with their Sebright sister, all 7 weeks old. Guess who's the boss? (Yes, the Sebright, she's fierce...)
I love my leghorns! They are gentle and inquisitive, smart and fast. I have great hopes for them free ranging and as egg layers.

 

[Alaskan]

Great photos, both of you!

@Finnie very nice sex comparison.

 

[cmom]

My RC Dark Brown Leghorns are now almost 3 months old and are loosing their peeps and getting their adult voices. They are in a coop now next to the adults coop. I stopped shutting them in their coop a couple of nights ago but they all go in at night on their own and up on their roosts. The white ear lobes are now starting to show. I'll try to get some pictures today.