Leghorn Breeders Thread - All Varieties

[BGMatt]

Welcome to the Leghorn thread!

Please use this thread to ask questions or share knowledge about the Leghorn as bred to the APA Standard.

The Leghorn has a rich tradition on both the farm and in the showroom. The sleek, elegant look and the alert personality has captured the fanciers heart for decades, and very little has changed over the years. Always practical as well as beautiful the Leghorn is a supreme layer, with the famous show lines of the early days were also the top producing lines such as the Grove Hill line.

Photos always speak louder than words of the timeless nature of the leghorn though so let me share some historical Leghorn images.

 

[BGMatt]

I'll share my current project as well, I'm working with the Single Comb Buffs, combining lines from two breeders in an effort to bring the variety up to the level currently enjoyed by the Light and Dark Browns.

Line "A" originated with Curtis Oakes and has very good heads, excellent leg length and good top lines. They are a little undersized, and I'd like better tail spread and more profuse feathering as far as lesser sickles on the males and better feather width in both sexes. Pictured is a young pair and then a solo shot of my top pullet, and a solo shot of my cockerel (taking photos of the Buffs is hard due to lighting and lack of a quality camera, the picture of the pair is the best color representation.)





Line "B" comes from Keith Bjellend in WA State. This line is larger, and has the tail length and feather width that I'm looking for. Unfortunately since I brought the line in via eggs this winter I do not have any grown birds to share photos of from this line.

Both lines have some minor leg color issues, not sure of the cause but if I understand my leg color genetics, should be an easy remedy.

The goals for this year:

1. Improve leg color by culling all cockerels that have anything but the absolute brightest yellow legs, male birds carry 2 copies of leg color genes so we can't be sure, but even over a questionable leg colored female if the male has yellow legs at least 50% of the offspring will have proper color. All pullets with any greenish tint to their legs will likely be culled unless she is a massive improvement in at least 3 other areas. Female birds carry one copy of leg color gene, so via using only yellow legged females to yellow legged males in 2015 and tracking their offspring means by 2016 the problem should be gone for good.

2. Improve size. There are many theories on how to best improve overall size, so beyond my culling for growth rate and size that I normally do I will be selecting only the largest shanked birds of both sexes, as many theorize that this is fastest way to improve overall frame size.

 

[NYREDS]

You might want to reach out to Dan Honour [danhonour here]. He probably knows as much about breeding Buff Leghorns as anyone alive.

 

[BGMatt]

You might want to reach out to Dan Honour [danhonour here]. He probably knows as much about breeding Buff Leghorns as anyone alive.

I have been in contact with him. He has been very helpful so far, and I look forward to future discussions with him as well. You're absolutely right in that statement.

 

[4Hgirl]

Marking this page. My two daughters are getting light brown leghorn chicks today for the 4H poultry project. Hoping we learn alot about them this year!

 

[Lzy M Homestead]

I have been searching everywhere for some Isabella Leghorn hatching eggs. Can anyone help?

 

[ve]

Thank you for starting this

 

[ve]

I have Whites, Blacks and Browns. Only the Whites are good. I keep 5 families (2 hens and a cock) and breed every 4 years. I replaced the flock this year, so next time I breed White Leghorns will be 2021. And I rotate the boys every time I breed them, so no brother and sister are mated together.
I have them from 2010 and will be honest, my Leghorn eye just came this fall, when I was choosing next generation breeders. I got the shape in my head, I can evaluate each bird and am thinking about what each combination will eventually bring me. It is big relieve. I do not say, I am good, but I got the " feeling" for the breed.
Here I will post old picture of one of the fathers and when get new pictures will post the new generation.

 

[ve]

This are 6 months old White Leghorns and for size comparison same age hatchery Silver Leghorn and 9 months old Marans. That is what keeps me busy and entertains me.
Next are two of the girls, one is 6 mo old and other is 4 mo old
.

 

[ve]

Here are few pictures of my Black Leghorn project. They are about 48% White that is how they got the barred gene. Next year I am going to breed the boy with the original Black hens and if I get black boy, will mix him with the barred hens.The type is coming slowly, but I do not hurry anyway.