The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[Bullitt]

Single Comb Light Brown Leghorns are my favorite. I like the combination of practical and beautiful.

It is ironic that grass is growing on your lawnmower.

Don't let the grass grow under your feet, though.

 

[The Moonshiner]

My grandma had white leghorns and they were a great bird but I thought the plain white was a bit boring. When I discovered the light browns it was like now that's the perfect bird right there.
A few years back I got some whites just as layers then I added some browns thinking their pattern would do better free ranging.
I started paying more attention to just how good they were in all departments. Maturing early, laying early, less feed, great free ranging both foraging and surviving, laying large eggs and lots of them.
At the time I was breeding several breeds but as soon as I started getting into color genetics and finding a few other colors of leghorns everything else started falling to the wayside and leghorns started filling my breeding pens.
I do miss some of the breeds I got out of sometimes but I ain't looking back.
Leghorns are my breed. They've come full circle. From remembering helping my grandma with hers when I was 4, 5, 6 to where I'm at now with my youngest at that same age helping me.
Maybe one day I'll have 50 varieties and a grandson stopping by helping collect eggs.
To many plans, ideas and dreams and not enough time so many a mower might have grass growing on them in the future but I don't have time to stand still that long for it to grow under me.

 

[Bullitt]

"Maybe one day I'll have 50 varieties and a grandson stopping by helping collect eggs.
To many plans, ideas and dreams and not enough time so many a mower might have grass growing on them in the future but I don't have time to stand still that long for it to grow under me."

It does seem like you are trying to do a lot.

I just replied to another thread where a poultry judge is encouraging people to pick an historically significant breed and variety and focus on breeding that. You certainly have one of the most historically significant breeds, the Leghorn. You may be trying for too many varieties with 50, though.

I think three varieties would be very ambitious. The white Leghorn is very common, so it does not seem like a good variety to focus on. The single comb light brown Leghorn and rose comb light brown Leghorn would be my preference. But each person has to focus on what he wants to do.

You are in Missouri and you call yourself The Moonshiner. I would guess you are in the Missouri Ozarks. There is a lot of pretty country there. Remember, moonshining is only illegal if you are selling it.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

I have read through quite a bit of this thread and love all the great new colors. I was thinking of trying to work on a Mille Fleur Leghorn using a brown leghorn male and 2 Swedish flower hen females. Not sure if this would work very well or not but might be fun to try.

How about a Crele Penedescena x aLl. Brown Leghorn hen?

 

[cmfarm]

How bout Creme Penedescena x L. Brown Leghorn hen?

I assume you mean crele? That wouldn't give you Mille Fleur though.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

I assume you mean crele? That wouldn't give you Mille Fleur though.

Yes

 

[Miami Leghorn]

My grandma had white leghorns and they were a great bird but I thought the plain white was a bit boring. When I discovered the light browns it was like now that's the perfect bird right there.
A few years back I got some whites just as layers then I added some browns thinking their pattern would do better free ranging.
I started paying more attention to just how good they were in all departments. Maturing early, laying early, less feed, great free ranging both foraging and surviving, laying large eggs and lots of them.
At the time I was breeding several breeds but as soon as I started getting into color genetics and finding a few other colors of leghorns everything else started falling to the wayside and leghorns started filling my breeding pens.
I do miss some of the breeds I got out of sometimes but I ain't looking back.
Leghorns are my breed. They've come full circle. From remembering helping my grandma with hers when I was 4, 5, 6 to where I'm at now with my youngest at that same age helping me.
Maybe one day I'll have 50 varieties and a grandson stopping by helping collect eggs.
To many plans, ideas and dreams and not enough time so many a mower might have grass growing on them in the future but I don't have time to stand still that long for it to grow under me.

Moonshiner,
I've read most of this thread, just curious; how many Leghorns do you still have, what projects are you working on and how much feed do you go through a month. Dollarwise and pound wise?

 

[The Moonshiner]

About 55 adults and IDK around 75 or 80 young birds.
IDK around 40 lbs a day. About 24 50 lb bags a month. Not real sure because I feed a couple kinds and have it in multiple places.
Too many projects to name.
Just with lavender.
Lavender, cuckoo lavender, lavender gold duckwing, lavender silver duckwing, cuckoo lavender silver duckwing, cuckoo lavender gold duckwing.
Also hoping to get a little further on black tailed buff and white tailed buff. Then those to mille fleur and black tailed buff mottled.
Also crele and silver crele.
IDK I'll see what I have in the spring then hatch like h€ll all spring and summer.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I have an Exchequer Leghorn pullet. Are they considered mottled?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Here's some lavender silver/gold cockerels.

Only have two and then a really young one I think is cuckoo lavender gold duckwing.
I've got some browns split to lavender and silver split to lavender hens I'll put them with.