LEGHORNS! Tell me about them.

[jhm47]

As many have posted on this subject, Leghorns are the best egg layers available for the amount of feed that they consume. That said, they are not anyone's first choice for pets. It all depends on what you are looking for. If you feel that being tame and quiet is important, I'd get RIR's. They lay well, and are quite tame. If egg production and efficiency is your priority, get white Leghorns.

As to temperature adaptbility, Leghorns are as good as any breed. I live in South Dakota, and it gets extremely cold here too. If you keep your birds well fed, and out of drafty, humid conditions, they will do fine. Their combs will likely freeze, and you will have to gather their eggs often to keep them from freezing, but you'll have to do that with most breeds.

I like the white Leghorn/RIR cross. They lay well and are not so flighty. The males are also better meat birds.

 

[SussexInSeattle]

I don't have anything at all for you about Leghorns but I did find myself wishing that all my pullets had the feathers on their feet that my Buff Brahma has this morning because it was so chilly and they were all foraging in the yard with their little bare toes! When I think of back East cold, I would think of feathery footed breeds, bred for cold weather and the Brahmas were. They are fairly calm and they get along well with others. The one I have doesn't really cluck even, she seems to have more of a low grumble than a sharp cluck but she also has not started to lay yet so I am not sure if that will change.

 

[sunnydee]

I am a first time chicken owner and 3 of my 6 girls are white leghorns. They are very friendly and very curious girls! One just started laying and even with the 20 degree temps and less than 10 hours of daylight...she has given me an egg every day.

 

[PurpleChicken]

We have 2 Leghorn layers and a couple crosses. In the last few years
we had had a ton of roos, pullets, and more crosses that we gave away
or processed.

My 2 hens are sweet, smart, social, and friendly. They are the only two
birds that know how to fly out of their run and let themselves out to
free range.

When they were babies they would fly out of their brooder and up on
the kitchen table to join us for dinner. Maybe this is why they are so
friendly.

I'm surprised to hear so many people call them skittish.

 

[sunnydee]

Here are my 6 girls (3 leghorns) enjoying time in the house! The white leghorns are more friendly than the brown orphs.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I have always had some Leghorns in my crew. I currently have 1 White Leghorn Hen and 1 Brown Leghorn Hen. I have a 3 month old Leghorn Roo. They are a bit skittish, but my chickens free range a lot in a field and the leghorns are definately aware of what goes on around them and alerts everyone else.

I think like others suggested, you need to decide based on what you are looking for the most; eggs, friends, meat, etc.

 

[the1much]

i have 1 leghorn roo, i mixed roo,, and 5 hens,,, someone gave me the hens, and the very next day they started laying for me,, my roo is the boss of all,, he is the BEST protector and "watcher" i have,, my EE's are more flighty then my LH's ,, but you will have problems with their combs in the cold, if your where it gets real cold you need to dub them,, or they get frostbite.

 

[Attack Chicken]

I believe leghorns are some of the sweetest chickens in the world!(at least mine are).Every time I go outside I'm greeted by 3 faces looking up at me.Their not skiddish at all. Very tame. Both of my girls will jump up on my lap if I sit outside. My roo that I have is the sweetest of them all. He loves to be brought in and just sit on my lap for 2 hours at least! They rarely go into my neighbors yard. Their not that flighty. The girls give me 2 pretty big eggs each day. The weather or daylight hasn't slowed them down yet.

 

[shelleyb1969]

I may be wrong, but I do believe that bloodlines have a lot to do with the temperament of a chicken. I'm not looking for Leghorn hens who will jump up on my shoulder, or even my lap for that matter. I do, however, want some that aren't going to freak out everytime I go into their enclosed coop with them. Having my head thrashed by flapping chicken wings is not fun for me.

I'm really learning a lot about Leghorns from all these posts...thanks so much to everyone who's responded. Keep the info comin'!

 

[Attack Chicken]

If you lived close to me I'd give ya a few eggs to hatch but your a loooong ways away lol