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Lunachick--- great photo. Love your signature line. lol.
I have a leghorn hybrid, an Ideal 236. She started laying less than a month ago and is an-egg-a-day layer. She is a beautiful, exquisite bird.... but she is a little mean to her roommates (my fault, I mixed breeds and ages in that coop). Several people have remarked about her dominance. Not sure where she will be, or how she will act when I combine my old chickens and my new chickens. Just wish she would be a little nicer to the littler ones. :O/
If you get a chance, and want to see an endearing Leghorn....get hold of the movie "Mad City Chickens" and hear the story about Consuela.
"flighty" seems to mean skittish to me as well. Leghorns aren't "cuddley" or particularly "friendly" in my and my associates and family's experience, but they are remarkable layers and a good addition to anyone's flock IMO.
If you raise them from chicks and touch them frequently, spend time with them and bring them treats (meal worms and grape pieces are a favorite) they will come to love you.
Here's two of my white egg layers, a blue andalusian and a white leghorn as 11 week old chicks. The minute I sit down they're both (and an EE) vying to get in my lap for snuggles and petting. I did not expect this from chickens, but these 3 are snugglers.
I have had both white and brown leghorns and I found my browns to be more flighty than my whites. I had a few whites that loved to be held. Now, one of my browns has been broody twice this year and I must say that has made her trust me alot more. She will now allow me to pick her up and eats from my hand. She is not thrilled about snuggling but her allowing me to pick her up without acting like a crazy chicken is an accomplishment!
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We tried to do this with ours when they were chicks, but they screamed and ran. The Dominiques they were raised with would actually come jump in my hand, but the little Leghorns did not like being handled at all.
My brown leghorns are friendly but are not partial to being handled. Like my other Mediterraneans, they are alert and will sometimes run away when I approach, sometimes not--seems to depend on if they are hungry or not. They do love to fly and perch on all kinds of things, from garbage cans to cabinets to the dog's cage, but no more than any of my other Mediterranean breeds. Unfortunately, I am not yet able to speak to their egg-laying ability since they have not laid any eggs yet.
I've only ever raised brown leghorns- not sure if the white are as flighty. Mine liked to roost in trees and were excellent fliers- it was impossible to keep them cooped up. One of mine went missing for weeks only to lead 10 chicks out of the nearby woods a month later. But they are great white egg layers.