The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[KF0002]

Being raised with other, calmer birds definitely helps calm the more flighty ones in my experience too. I even have a 12 week old Fayoumi who's always been easy to catch and likes to perch on me, and I'm sure that's at least partly because one of her hatch mates is more like a puppy than a chicken.

I love feather puppies! Our Ameraucanas and Buff Leghorns are definitely feather puppies. They have no natural fear of humans and are some of the most docile chickens I have ever owned. Socializing chickens at a young age and getting them used to being handled helps too.

 

[kattabelly]

I love feather puppies! Our Ameraucanas and Buff Leghorns are definitely feather puppies. They have no natural fear of humans and are some of the most docile chickens I have ever owned. Socializing chickens at a young age and getting them used to being handled helps too.

I've never wanted cuddly pet chickens but somehow ended up with a few anyway.

I know you can't make sweeping generalisations across an entire breed but interesting to hear that your Buff Leghorns are like that. I've mostly always seen Leghorns described as flighty.

 

[McChooky]

Chickens definitely feed off the energy of other birds around them. If the other chickens are acting like the human is going to eat them, they will all be panicking. If the other chickens act chill, the spastic chickens learn that people are not a big deal. *Most of the time*

*Enters hatchery Brown Leghorns, who are eternally afeared of man.

Yeah there is no hope for those.

I have 3 purebred brown leghorn hens and 4 brn leghorn hen + legbar rooster crosses.They're just as flighty

 

[KF0002]

I've never wanted cuddly pet chickens but somehow ended up with a few anyway.

I know you can't make sweeping generalisations across an entire breed but interesting to hear that your Buff Leghorns are like that. I've mostly always seen Leghorns described as flighty.

The Buffs are from an exhibition line, so they have been selected for calmness for showing. My favorite is named "Little Sissy" and she is my precious. I wish all of my Leghorns were as calm as the Buffs. I don't cuddle all of my chickens because most of them are dinosaurs and just want to be left alone, but there is always a few around that will let me carry and cuddle them.

 

[KF0002]

I have 3 purebred brown leghorn hens and 4 brn leghorn hen + legbar rooster crosses.They're just as flighty

Yes the hatchery Browns are feral. They lay like a boss but are super wild. My Legbars are pretty docile, and when I crossed a Legbar rooster over a hatchery Brown hen it seemed to tone down the crazy in their offspring, thankfully.

 

[McChooky]

Yes the hatchery Browns are feral. They lay like a boss but are super wild. My Legbars are pretty docile, and when I crossed a Legbar rooster over a hatchery Brown hen it seemed to tone down the crazy in their offspring, thankfully.

I gave 5 away with a free legbar legbar rooster in hopes of finding them a good home. He kept the hens separate from his main flock.I haven't seen him in a good while but last I heard he free ranged them.

 

[KF0002]

I gave 5 away with a free legbar legbar rooster in hopes of finding them a good home. He kept the hens separate from his main flock.I haven't seen him in a good while but last I heard he free ranged them.

Leghorns and Legbars do very well free ranging. They evade predators better than heavier breeds, and roost high up in the trees with our game chickens.

 

[KF0002]

It is snowing here.

 

[McChooky]

Leghorns and Legbars do very well free ranging. They evade predators better than heavier breeds, and roost high up in the trees with our game chickens.

We have trees but its steep terrain out back. One of my hens flew off the hill behind us and broke a hip once (took months to heal)On the plus side its a natural deterrent.Predators don't like to climb it either

 

[KF0002]

We have trees but its steep terrain out back. One of my hens flew off the hill behind us and broke a hip once (took months to heal)On the plus side its a natural deterrent.Predators don't like to climb it either

We have a hill behind our house also, and there is a creek at the bottom. It hasn't seemed to deter possums or raccoons, as we have been trapping them in abundance. I'm glad your hen recovered!