White Leghorn, the forgotten breed

[Julieh9r]

Wow..he's only 12 weeks? Mines is 14 weeks. They said it was a "she"

 

[BayBay Peepers]

I agree, I think yours is a pullet. Mine is almost the same size as my full grown leghorns. His dad is big, so I suppose that helps I was really hoping for a pullet, but so far his temperament seems good and as long as he stays that way he'll live hehe

 

[jdilapi]

I started my flock with white leghorns. Then added deleware, giants, dark cornish, and random other brown layers. I was disappoined in every other layer on the farm. No egg was deeper, richer, and larger than the leghorns. I get eggs the size of my fist from the smallest members of my flock. I can't close the carton. Sometimes I wonder how its even possible. They may not be the prettiest in the pageant, but they never disappoint. I bred them with my brahma, who are also known as large egg layers. I'm excited to see how my babies turn out and how they lay.

 

[BayBay Peepers]

I like my leghorns (despite them being white tornadoes some days) but I am actually disappointed with how many issues we have because they lay so many eggs. I did not start out with them, but a friend of mine left the state and didn't want to travel with chickens so here they are. I think we've gone too far in the breeding of leghorns to get so many eggs. From prolapsed vents to shell-less eggs I feel sorry for them. They really go through the oyster shell which is no problem...what's the point of money if you're not going to use it right? The "shell-less" eggs usually happen here when someone is going to lay two in a day. They really struggle with that and I wish I knew a way to help them. I appreciate all their effort, but I'd rather them live long, healthy lives over popping out eggs.

 

[chicken chickie]

this my only white leghorn Ginger ...she's adorable and quite talkative and friendly ....and Loves to spread her wings too ...I didn't realize they were pretty good flyers ..well protected in her coup and run but if not ..she'd be roaming the neighborhood lol

 

[Julieh9r]

My Leghorn is the most friendliest in the flock so far. However, the BR keeps picking on her because she's the smallest in the group

 

[moss farm]

My leghorn roo that I saved from a cullin at 5 months old is now 10 months. Today my 6 year old son was on his knees petting our cream legbar hen the roo started walking toward him with chest out my son didn't notice him but I did. As my son stood up and tund his back the roo drop a wing and was about to flog him I yelled the Roos name and he darted off. We have held the roo and hand fed him since we had him. I know he is getting the age where he is protective and wants to be the big cock of the yard. I'm not going to have a aggresive roo around so if I see anything like that again he will be in the pot.

 

[jdilapi]

Her legs look healthy.  Our White Leghorn had pale yellow legs before she began laying...then they got a little darker.  Beautiful bird! 

they are a smaller breed and usually look a little more ragged than others. Esspecially if they free reign.

 

[yellowchicks]

My son picked up four white Leghorns when they were a day old from a local hatchery. He once heard me mentioned that my grandmother got me some yellow chicks when I was a little girl. Those chicks were placed in a bathtub in a spare bathroom, there was no coop or special accommodation. Well, I don't remember what happened to those chicks, maybe they died, maybe they were given away, I certainly never seen them turn into chickens with feather. My son thought it would be neat to have some chicks now as pets, little that we know that these chicks quickly grown into chickens. The patting zoo days were over in a flash.

As beginner BYC owners knowing nothing about chickens except for my short blip of early childhood memory, I would say that we were really lucky to have Leghorns. These girls are very easy going, extremely smart, super quick learner, instinctively know what to do, very low maintenance, but always ready for a jail break. They can fly quite well and high at a very young age, hop onto a tree easily if they were let loose. These Leghorns are probably not the best lap pets, they don't stay still much. By patting them non-stop during meal time, you can train them to get used to human touch. Our girls are very calm, friendly, and sweet; each has an unique personality. At 20 weeks old, they haven't lay any egg yet, but we are not rushing them, just treat them as pets that can generate eggs than as livestock that need to produce for their keeps.

If anyone wants to raise chicken for the first time, Leghorn is a good start from what we learned so far.

 

[urban-chick-mom]

I have to say that my Pearl, a White Leghorn is my favorite chicken. I got 3 babies(Buff Orpington,New Hampshire Red and White Leghorn) over 3 years ago. Pearl lays an average of 5 eggs/week nonstop, even when she is molting. She is very smart, independent and very friendly. She is by far the best of the 3 breeds I have. If I ever did it again I would have all White Leghorns. It doesn't matter to me that her eggs are white. Her eggs taste just the same as the other breeds. She lays the biggest egg and she is the smallest breed.