White Leghorns

[BWKatz]

My leghorn has always been sweet but she has gotten down right cuddly since she started laying. Now she meets me at the door to be picked up. She is also top of pecking order & leads the others out to the pen in the morning and back to the coop at night. She sings to them at night while they coo back like she's putting them to sleep. I think she's beautiful, solid white with bright red comb and wattles.

 

[Tala]

I think of all the breeds and mutts I've raised thus far, I think the white Leghorns benefitted the most from hand raising.
Mine aren't "cuddly" but then again, none of my hens are I don't raise them to be. My 3 Leghorn ladies get underfoot and used to follow me around the yard hoping I'd turn over a log or something so they could get the bugs underneath (spoiled slightly??? lol). So they can be plenty friendly enough for yard birds.
They do fly well, and can be rather stubborn about roosting on top of the coop or above your head in trees, wing clipping is a must if you don't have them in a run with a top on it.

They are good layers, and so are crosses. I only have 3 of the ladies, but I had a few of their offspring, 6 young RIR x WhiteLeghorn pullets and I was near drowning in eggs there for a while!!! LOL

ETA: this is "Houdini" although in this picture I call her "grandma" just coz she looks it. They are 18ish months old and due to molt soon, and the poor ladies need it!!!
I took the pic with my phone, which doesn't have zoom, so I really was that close to her I just don't touch them a lot. As everyone else says, if you are calm around them they will also be calm.

 

[featherz]

My white leghorns turned out to be my sweetest and friendliest chickens. I was really surprised! they never fly anywhere and run up to me when I come out. I can pick them up and walk around. And they lay massive white eggs. My RIR's turned out to be the skittish ones.

It's amazing how such a big egg can come from such a skinny little bird, each and every day!

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

I only have one so maybe my opinion won't matter much....
When she was younger she was quite skittish. I have worked with her and held her often and now she is my friendliest bird. She loves attention and will follow me around the yard and come when I call her. She is my fave to say the least. She is a wonderful egg layer! Such a large egg for a small bird. If I had chickens just for the eggs I would get all White Leghorns.

 

[Mahonri]

I'm down to one and I'm only getting about 3 eggs a week from her.

But I like her.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I have 2. They were raised wild (free range and no coop) and I've had em for 5 weeks now. They are still 'flighty' and don't like me to walk up to them but do follow me around the yard looking for treats. Took em 4 weeks to integrate into the flock and go into the coop instead of a tree that hangs over the river.

With my limited experience I can see that these girls could indeed be sweet if spoiled some. They are also very self sufficient foragers if you don't spoil them. The only potential problem I see with them is they are diggers. Luckily for me they do they're digging in the tree line between properties instead of my lawn.

One of the 2 started laying this week and have had 4 eggs for 4 days from her though they are still small.

 

[Sprinkles212]

My white leghorns turned out to be my sweetest and friendliest chickens. I was really surprised! they never fly anywhere and run up to me when I come out. I can pick them up and walk around. And they lay massive white eggs. My RIR's turned out to be the skittish ones. /img/smilies/smile.png

It's amazing how such a big egg can come from such a skinny little bird, each and every day!

Our RIR's are also much more skittish than our White Leghorns. We love our white leghorns!

 

[Courts Clucks]

I have six white Leghorns. I like to describe their personality like that of a cat. A little jumpy, and will come to me when THEY want to be pet. Never when I want to pet them. Lol. Mine are very curious but over all more of a favorite than the RIRs.

 

[Kittyf]

I have one white leghorn - she just started laying a few weeks ago. The other 5 hens have been laying for nearly 6 months! At first she was very timid and flighty, but now that she's laying, she is very calm and almost docile. She lets me pet her and pick her up. Whitey (aka Kathy) is just a real sweetie and lays nearly every day now.
(Unlike some other hen I could mention - are you listening, Karla? Do you know what a crockpot is?)


Kate

 

[Creepychickenla]

I have 2 leg Horn Hens (Along With My 4 rhode Island Reds ) and They are the Greatest ! They Are SO sweet And Mine Just Crave attention !