Leghorns

[ChickenPotPie]

I've been thinking about them. Perhaps replacing my children's RIRs with Leghorns. My 8 yr old is somewhat open to the idea. Will you tell us about yours? What you like about them? What you don't like? Do you show yours? Do you recommend anyone to buy show quality from (feel free to recommend yourself). Pics would be fabulous. Thanks.

Oh, and tell me about Exchequers.

 

[FreeRunRevolution]

I recently purchased a young Leghorn Hen, only 9 weeks old, but beautiful. Almost hawk-like with her sleek body and sharp sight.
Just today I found a gorgeous Leghorn Rooster, hes not much older tha the hen, maybe 12 weeks, but huge already, with a full comb and impressive tail!
Have to figure out how to post some pics on here...its not working for me at all

 

[silkiechicken]

Egg laying machines. Quick on their toes, flighty as all get out, hate to be petted and very high strung. Great at avoiding predators free ranging and will be the first at the treat bin and be less than half a step at following you around, but look at them wrong and they will freak out. If you like to cuddle with your birds, leghorns might not be the right bird.

 

[HBuehler]

Quote:
Couldn't have said it better..once you do catch them though they are very mellow in your arms..just don't plan on it often.The eggs they produce are so worth the flighty ways and that flighty way makes them exceptional free rangers.
Exchequers are one of the exceptions they are very mellow but the trade off is the size and production of eggs..they don't hold a candle to the white..brown does well but the other colors just don't lay the same size as the white(mine lay 75 gram eggs just about every day)
We don't have show strain as mine are here to lay so I'm into production lines not SOP with them...although mine are leghorn not Ideal 236 or any of the hybrid hatchery birds.
I would suggest a variety of breeds especially with kids..there are so many nice breeds only having one really limits the fun and excitement.

 

[flgardengirl]

If you get only 3 or 4 leghorns and a bunch of other good layers that are friendly like red sex links or black stars and raise them together, your leghorns will be friendlier. I have done it both ways: all leghorns or mix a few with a friendly breed and the later yields very mellow leghorns.

 

[chics in the sun]

That is my son holding 'his' White Leghorn, Sunshine. I love her, and think she is so pretty. Although she is flighty, now that she is laying age she is not as hard to catch (she squats) and once you have her she will often get so relaxed she sleeps on your lap. And she is definately one of the best at free-ranging and generally smarter than the other birds. She's a trip to watch, really - I love it when she suddenly takes off at full speed across the yard like the road-runner, then just stops on a dime and acts like nothing happened, like it's totally normal. And when she is laying she never misses a day. Now she is not laying, and here is why:

She is broody for the second time in two months (and only 30 weeks old!), so I went ahead and let her set some eggs. We'll see how she does as a mama. She's certainly taken her broody duties seriously! I wasn't sure she would be able to puff her skinny body up enough to cover them all, but she's got them all tucked under there and only leaves the nest box once a day.

 

[Attack Chicken]

I agree some leghorns are very flighty an are hard to handle, but my leghorns are just the opposite. I can walk up next to them and pick them up. They will come up to me and sit on my lap (especially my big boy Kernal) My origonal 2 chickens which are leghorns live downstairs in the basement yes housechickens! I love my leghorns so much!

I have more but I better stop LOL

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Thanks for the reminder, SilkieChicken! My son had one hatchery Leghorn in the past and she was very fast and flighty. Fortunately, my children are faster. lol. The best chicken catcher around here, hands down, is my 5 yr old. Man, he's good.

We have 80 birds (5 species, 13 breeds) so I think variety is not a problem. My boys raise and show their animals (goats, rabbits, poultry) so understand that having all the same color/shape for one breed is normal and still interesting.

Interesting info on temperament and egg production of the Exchequers! My son had a white hen before but when I showed him photos yesterday he said he was partial to Browns and Exchequers.

So, how do the Browns compare to the Whites in egg production?

I couldn't find a national Leghorn club. Is there no club or am I missing something obvious? Can anyone provide a link to it if there is one? lol I have so many questions! But, this is me when looking into breeds of any animal.

Please bare with me. Thank you.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Chics in the Sun and Attack Rooster, Thanks for the photos! What beautiful birds! Kernal!

Is it unusual for a Leghorn to go broody?!

 

[chics in the sun]

Yes, they rarely go broody. When I bought the eggs to let her set, the breeder asked me, "now, are you SURE that is really a Leghorn?" I told her she looks like one and acts like one, so as far as I can tell, yes, she is a one-in-a-million broody Leghorn. There are a few others on here that have had them go broody, too, but not often! They are supposed to be working girls, very efficient and productive and just not interested in the baby-raising thing.