Leghorn Layers

[Sophie4321]

Hi
I am thinking of getting some leghorns
How long do they normally take to start laying?
Thanks

 

[The Moonshiner]

Check out this thread...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-moonshiners-leghorns.1257688/
Not that it pertains to egg production but its a good excuse to link to some of my colored leghorns.
Sorry couldn't help a shameless plug.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hi
I am thinking of getting some leghorns
How long do they normally take to start laying?
Thanks

Hatchery/commercial lines tend to mature pretty quickly and its not uncommon for laying to start around 16 weeks....generally all the wls I've kept (production bred) have started around 17-19 weeks

 

[RTsFFF]

Check out this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/brown-leghorns-white-leghorns.114559/page-2
I have 2 white LHs and a Ca white. My little LHs are superstar egg layers.
I too am looking to add more LHs to my flock and am planning to get brown LHs.

Thank you DobieLover, that was helpful as well!

 

[sourland]

It depends on the line they're from.
Nothing can touch a true production type of white leghorn.
If you're just talking run of the mill hatchery type leghorns then the light browns come pretty close in amount and size.
Everything else including buffs can't compete. They all lay smaller eggs and won't lay 6 or 7 eggs a week.
Show line leghorns usually won't lay half what a good production white will.

What Moonshiner said, but it's nice to add a couple colored varieties for 'pretty' and generally adequate production. JMO, but there is no more beautiful chicken than a Leghorn.

 

[chkncrazy]

I used to grow all types of brown egg laying chickens and over the years whether it's been luck or MyCare I have gotten the most gentle and quietest nicest leghorns and now I only have White leghorns

 

[Compost King]

I thought I would get some fancy colored Leghorns to compare to the production of the white leghorns I have. These are hatchery quality silver leghorns and only 10 or 11 weeks old. I also bought Red Leghorns but they do not look all that great, developed much slower and half of them died. Maybe in a month I will take pictures of them too. I want to make Columbian Leghorns by mixing the 2 and in 2 or 3 generations if the theory is correct I should start getting Columbian Leghorns.
Now I get to learn the hard way that these Fancy leghorns are not such great producers. oh well, I just like the sleek beautiful form of a Leghorn.

 

[chkncrazy]

View attachment 1818869 View attachment 1818876
I thought I would get some fancy colored Leghorns to compare to the production of the white leghorns I have. These are hatchery quality silver leghorns and only 10 or 11 weeks old. I also bought Red Leghorns but they do not look all that great, developed much slower and half of them died. Maybe in a month I will take pictures of them too. I want to make Columbian Leghorns by mixing the 2 and in 2 or 3 generations if the theory is correct I should start getting Columbian Leghorns.
Now I get to learn the hard way that these Fancy leghorns are not such great producers. oh well, I just like the sleek beautiful form of a Leghorn.

Those guys are beautiful I love the Sleek uniform look of leghorns as well

 

[nicalandia]

Once I had a flock of real production whites. They were labeled with a number instead of being called leghorns even.

Different corporations will call them by numbers to separate them from backyard white leghorns, for example the Hyline W-36. At some point I was trying to Breed a few of them to a backyard rooster and back to W-36 to produce more of them.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Different corporations will call them by numbers to separate them from backyard white leghorns, for example the Hyline W-36. At some point I was trying to Breed a few of them to a backyard rooster and back to W-36 to produce more of them.

Different corporations give them numbers to differentiate their birds from all others whether it be run of the mill leghorns or other companies high production leghorns.
These companies have decades of specific breeding in their lines and they don't want any other birds to be confused with theirs.