questions about leghorns

[BigBatHorn]

I have always had dual purpose birds but all I really care about are the eggs , I dont want to eat them , so Ive been thinking about getting some brown leghorns . Im just wondering what peoples experiences have been with them . anybody have any info for me??

 

[dawg53]

I only have had White Leghorns and they are great layers of white eggs. They are skittish, great foragers, non broody and can outrun all my other chickens including my Hamburgs and me also. Brown Leghorns are a mediteranian (sp) breed along the same lines as the White Leghorn and I suspect their characteristics are the same/very similar.

 

[BigBatHorn]

What about roosting at night . I had a guy tell me that if they are free ranged they will not go back in the coop at night , they will roost in trees . Is this true , is this a common problem with leghorns?
What about temperment . I heard they are skiddish , but does that mean as soon as they see me , they take off into the back 40 or does it mean they just keep there distance more than , lets say RIR 's do . Thats one of my problems with the RIR and Austrolps that I have had . They tended to hang out in my yard and on my porch alot , which meant their poop was everywhere . I would walk out of my house , onto the porch and tip toe around poop piles . I was thinking maybe if they are abit skiddish they wouldnt do that and maybe hang in the garden , woods , or the field a little more than around my house . I really dont want a pet , I want eggs ... but I do enjoy sitting outside and watching them on my down time...I just dont want them sitting on my porch watching me through the sliding doorwall .lol.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I have always had white and / or brown leghorns. They are a little bit skittish but not bad. I always keep mine in the house / run for a few days so they are comfortable and before allowing free ranging. I have never had a problem with them not coming in at night.

As for egg laying, my whites always have outlayed the browns.

I no longer have brown leghorns, only whites.

 

[dawg53]

My leghorns, past and present, have always went in their house to sleep at night with the other chickens,never an issue and they are all free range. My leghorns have always come running up to me with the others to see if I have any scraps or treats. They squawk alot and will hang around on the porch or patio and poop just like the others. Trying to catch them to inspect them or give them wormer meds is real fun.Sometimes they even escape my net.They have flown over my 5' chain link fence and I've had to trim their wing feathers to prevent them from flying out of the yard.In wintertime I put vaseline on their combs and wattles,as i do with the others,to prevent frostbite. White Leghorns are suseptible to frostbite because of their bigger combs and wattles.I imagine Brown Leghorns are the same way. Overall, I'd always have a Leghorn or two in my flock just because of their egg laying abilities and I personnally think they are pretty chickens.