Leghorn advice needed !

[Hazel feather]

Hi all ,
I decided to take the plunge and order leghorn hatching eggs ! I’m really excited to hatch and raise them ! I ordered exchequer and blue leghorns . I’d love to hear people’s experiences with leghorns and advice on hatching and raising them!
Thanks in advance!

 

[Penpal]

Leghorns are known for not going broody so you would need an incubator to hatch them. And, of course, a rooster.

They grow faster than most breeds, I think in part because they do not put on much muscle meat. Because they lay more eggs when young, they lay fewer eggs sooner. You then either turn them into soup, or keep them and just accept that they will lay fewer eggs.

They are not the best foragers, but will forage. Foraging is good because the green leaves they eat add nutrients to their eggs.

 

[Hazel feather]

Leghorns are known for not going broody so you would need an incubator to hatch them. And, of course, a rooster.

They grow faster than most breeds, I think in part because they do not put on much muscle meat. Because they lay more eggs when young, they lay fewer eggs sooner. You then either turn them into soup, or keep them and just accept that they will lay fewer eggs.

They are not the best foragers, but will forage. Foraging is good because the green leaves they eat add nutrients to their eggs.

Thanks !
I don’t mind if they stop laying sooner ! I have 20 hens who eat organic feed and are free range and they never lay ! ( or they are hiding them from me )

 

[rural mouse]

Leghorns are known for not going broody so you would need an incubator to hatch them. And, of course, a rooster.

They grow faster than most breeds, I think in part because they do not put on much muscle meat. Because they lay more eggs when young, they lay fewer eggs sooner. You then either turn them into soup, or keep them and just accept that they will lay fewer eggs.

They are not the best foragers, but will forage. Foraging is good because the green leaves they eat add nutrients to their eggs.

Beg to differ. I have a splash leghorn that not only went broody (along side 2 other hens), but proved to be the best mother of the 3. She raised the babies to 10 weeks.

She (and the other leg/leg mixes are among the most alert birds. I free range all day (they sleep in a coop and have no run, so go wherever all day). The leghorns hit the feed bucket much less than my other breeds, preferring to forage the majority of their feed.

@Hazel feather Leghorn chicks will need the same care as any other chick. If you have adult birds, I highly recommend the mama hen heating pad tactic inside the coop with the other birds from day 1.

tote has window and heat inside, pic taken on 1st day babies allowed out, around 4 days old.

Leghorns tend to be active, "flighty" meaning they fly fairly well at a very young age, curious, and not cuddly.

Babies raised in the flock tend to be trying to roost at 2-3 weeks, better equipped at predator evasion, and integrate more easily.

and the broody splash leghorn

 

[rural mouse]

Thanks !
I don’t mind if they stop laying sooner ! I have 20 hens who eat organic feed and are free range and they never lay ! ( or they are hiding them from me )

Likely hiding them, well, fall brings on moults, so most birds stop laying, then start up again in early spring.

 

[Hazel feather]

Beg to differ. I have a splash leghorn that not only went broody (along side 2 other hens), but proved to be the best mother of the 3. She raised the babies to 10 weeks.

She (and the other leg/leg mixes are among the most alert birds. I free range all day (they sleep in a coop and have no run, so go wherever all day). The leghorns hit the feed bucket much less than my other breeds, preferring to forage the majority of their feed.

@Hazel feather Leghorn chicks will need the same care as any other chick. If you have adult birds, I highly recommend the mama hen heating pad tactic inside the coop with the other birds from day 1.View attachment 4277137tote has window and heat inside, pic taken on 1st day babies allowed out, around 4 days old.

Leghorns tend to be active, "flighty" meaning they fly fairly well at a very young age, curious, and not cuddly.

Babies raised in the flock tend to be trying to roost at 2-3 weeks, better equipped at predator evasion, and integrate more easily.

View attachment 4277140and the broody splash leghornView attachment 4277142View attachment 4277143

Thank you so much ! Your birds are gorgeous!

 

[SourRoses]

When we raised a batch of leghorns, we had the brooder on the porch (and added a little run), so they were seeing us come and go, and sit and talk, at least half the day, but spread out.
They did not live up to the scaredy-leg hype at all, they were very calm with us. Albeit we didn't handle them much either so they weren't handleable. But some at maturity would come hang out near us and act curious. A couple liked to lay their eggs in the potted plants. My mother thought that was convenient... "bring your eggs to me!".

They grew very quickly. Make sure you have their housing set up before you think you need it.
We raised ours on 20% protein, and they looked healthy rather than ratty. They got along well in the flock but roosters seemed to love them. At various times we had more than one comb injury on the leg ladies due to being grabbed incorrectly by a roo. They healed quickly but I felt bad for them.
ETA: They could also get over 8ft fences, but stopped trying after that initial stress of the onset of lay pullets tend to go through. Unless you free range, a covered pen is a good idea.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@The Moonshiner is our resident expert on breeding and raising Leghorns.

 

[McChooky]

When I wanted more leghorn chicks I gave a broody Sapphire hen 4 brown leghorn eggs .She hatched and raised them in the flock for me. None of my purebred leghorns have gone broody yet but they're excellent chickens to raise in every way provided you have lots of room.They do better in flocks together as their flightiness stresses some other breeds.Mine will be 3 yrs old in the spring and I like them better than any of my other breeds. In my opinion they need more room because they're high energy. Mixes are more likely to go broody than a purebred leghorn.They are also more likely to go broody if they were hatched by a broody and raised in the flock or so I've read.The broody trait has been bred out of most strains

 

[McChooky]

Thanks !
I don’t mind if they stop laying sooner ! I have 20 hens who eat organic feed and are free range and they never lay ! ( or they are hiding them from me )

I have a couple pullets that just turned 16 weeks old that aren't laying yet but all of my other hens are laying except the 5 yr olds. They laid until December and quit. Maybe yours are laying somewhere else? What breed and age are your hens? Some don't lay good in the winter.Mine have cut back a lot