Why do people dislike leghorns?

[Flippacase]

Aren't They like the best egg layers?

Are they really flighty? Skiddish?

Let me know....cause I just got a baby, and hoping its not a mistake.

 

[Domestic_goddess]

I have 2 brown leghorns, for me they are not my favorite and I never recommend them to new chicken owners. They are skiddish and flighty, mine go crazy when I go into the coop. But, when they free range they are fine. Not only that I was told they are great layers and out of my 10 laying hens, they are my worst layers. I only get an egg every couple days out of them, and I know it's them because they are my only hens that lay white eggs. Some love them though, so I guess it's personal preverence. The only reason I keep them is because husband thinks they are pretty. Good luck!

 

[can you hear me now?]

eggwise my white leghorns were awesome, They are really flighty and love to free range. They just don't seem to like people I did have one exception that want too bad with us but none were very trusting birds of us. Do I recommend them? No I don't if you are looking to enjoy your chickens. Otherwise if you are looking for eggs they lay more eggs on less feed. That is why the people that sell eggs to stores get them.

 

[blefky]

Don't have much experience yet, I just started early this spring, but I currently have 14 birds and one is a little leghorn. We call her Slick because man, can she move. She got loose in my garage the other day and it took half an hour to catch her. However, once she's being held she's the sweetest little girl you could ask for. Weird. She was the smallest of all the chicks, and has always been the fastest. She's also the only one who's wings I've clipped (for safety's sake until she is in the run - she's just too quick!). Personally, I like her spunk. Some of the posters seem to have had less than great things to say about their leghorns, but really, from what I've seen, read, and experienced I think it's more about individual personality. I have three golden comets, two are sooo sweet, and the other is an aggressive little s__t! For me, it's part of the fun - you never know how it's gonna turn out!

 

[silkiechicken]

They lay like mad but aren't cuddle bugs. They will be the first to your feet and had some who would follow you so close that if you stopped, it would not be unusual for one to run into the back of your legs. However, turn around and look at them and they'd run like you were going to eat them on the spot, always 2 inches further than your finger tips. They are awesome.

 

[Puresilk]

I read in a chicken magazine that white leghorns lay a lot better than brown leghorns? True?

 

[Cowgirl71]

Yes, they are usually VERY flighty. I've been told, though, that it really depends on the strain. Some strains can be quite docile, but most are flighty. As far as laying goes, I'd say the WHITE Leghorns are excellent layers. Someone correct me on this if I'm wrong: All of the other color varieties are average to poor layers (again, this mostly depends on the strain).

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I personally do not care for leghorns; however, a friend adores hers; she doesn't care for silkies. Everyone has their personal preferences, which include the reason they have chickens to begin with.

My grandmother and great grandmother both raised white leghorns, and according to all the family stories, (both died before I was born) they were mighty fond of their birds. My aunt told me the story of seeing a neighbor's "domineckers" and commenting on how pretty they were, and my great grandmother very huffily told her "My chickens are better!"

 

[silkiechicken]

The white leghorn has been selectively bred for the past 60+ years just like the meat birds for best efficiency. You'll be hard pressed to beat a white leghorn in egg per body mass and food eaten.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

BTW, I don't dislike leghorns; I just do not care for them. Given a choice of a leghorn or a buff orp, I'll take the leghorn. What I won't take is an RIR--at least not the large fowl.