New Babies Coming... Leghorn Good Layers?

[PurpleChicken]

Our Leghorns lay an egg as big as a small car. One egg could feed a village(of mice).
They lay daily and are consistent. Ours are very friendly and will always give me
a loving sqwat.

 

[silkiechicken]

Wait... did you get chicks or grown pullets? If you ordered chicks(cost about 2 bucks each) they will come in a tiny box at the post office with intact beaks. If you ordered adult pullets, 100% of them will be debeaked and would have cost like 7 bucks a pop I think. Don't know if ideal sells grown pullets though. Go with the chicks if you ordered adults. However, prepare for them to be thirsty, hungry little suckers when they arrive.

These lay like crazy and most are skittish as all get out. However, with handling they can be more tolerable. I have one that just walks under me no matter what and doesn't mind being picked up. The rest are pretty high strung though.

 

[LeghornGuy]

The Leghorns are laying machines. I have a mix of brown legohorns, white leghorns and the Ideal leghorn (California). I raised them since they were chicks. I purchased them from Ideal Poultry. They are hyper and active. However, they run to me all the time. I have always purchased baby chicks so that I could handle them. (It makes them more calm and they are used me. Good luck with your flock.

 

[stormhasit]

It looks like based on cost I am getting babies. I only gave $2 each for them. I am so glad they will have their beaks intact!! And now - based on what I am hearing its probably better for my situation that I am getting the babies as I do want to be able to handle them and I want them to come up to me.
One thing I am reading on here too - are these good hardy chickens in the winter? I am in the DFW area of Texas so our winters aren't overall as harsh as other areas but occassionally we do have our cold spells!! And another plus for being in Texas is that our winters are relatively short compared to other parts of the country.

As for their yard - I am putting up a kennel that is 12' x 12' with the coop itself in the back of that - but once they are big enough they will get run of the yard as well (I have an acre with a 6' fence all the way around).

 

[silkiechicken]

Read up on raising baby chicks so you have the whole set up ready for when the arrive... you have plenty of time.

As for kennel, wrap that kennel in chicken wire too so that grabbing arms of coons and other predators don't go in and pull out the birds out.

As for winter, they should be fine. It was 22 deg out in the coop last night, and all my birds were fine, Even my big floppy combed leghorn. No frost bite yet.

I didn't know Texas had a winter... I'd be more worried about heat. My birds would choose to eat tons of food and have cold weather, over drinking a lot of water in scorching 80 deg heat.

 

[stormhasit]

Quote:

I wish it was only 80 here in the summer!!
In July and August (sometimes Sept and part of October too!) it not uncommon to get over 100

We're in our coldest part of winter now and its ranging from 20 to 40 for the most parts but even then its not uncommon for a 50 or 60 degree day. But yes - I was starting to get concerned about the colder times.

 

[leghorn dude]

i live just north of houston and mine do fine just make sure they have plenty of water

 

[fowltemptress]

Scorching 80 degree heat? I'm not entirely comfy unless it's at LEAST 80 degrees out. How funny.

Good luck with your chicks. I'd like to hear how you like them. My family is looking for friendly layers and I'd like to know if you have any success in bonding with leghorns. I've always been hesitant to get them because I've heard their skittish.
Again, good luck and have fun!

 

[leghorn dude]

they can be but with the right treats (wild birdseed) mine eat out of my hand got my fingers a couple times tonight but if there isnt food they wont come near

 

[hooligan]

Here's some pix and info on them plus associations:
http://feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Leghorns/BRKLeghorns.html