Leghorns lay a bunch of eggs, are very beautifully shaped, and make great squab/fryers.
Eat very little grain compared to a DP breed and come in many different colors.
They feather and mature quickly.
I've always admired the little birds and admit I have a weak spot for them. I like productive fowl, and Leghorns are very productive.
You're not going to get a Roaster out of them, that's where a good DP or Old Meat bird would come in handy. But for someone who loves to grill like I do, the fryer birds are perfect size and tenderness.
First batch of leghorns we had would crack me up on a daily basis. There were so high strung they ran around like...well a chicken with their head cut off. Just a kooky bird that is fun to watch.
They were also the earliest layers we've ever had. They were cranking out little eggs the size of robin eggs while my broody Buff and Lorpe just peered out and scowled.
Black, white, silver, buff, light brown, dark brown, cuckoo, Mottled, and probably a few more I have missed. I wouldn't doubt somebody has blue and splash around somewhere. I'd have to look in the SOP to see which colors are recognized.
Also come with a Single or Rose comb. Not sure how I missed that last night in the op.
Black, white, silver, buff, light brown, dark brown, cuckoo, Mottled, and probably a few more I have missed. I wouldn't doubt somebody has blue and splash around somewhere. .
I like my Leghorns! I want eggs, and big eggs, and a lot of them. I don't care really for eating chicken meat, but for OK for chicken soup and bone stock, and all you need for that is an older rooster or hen.
Having said that, you have to love a flighty bird to love Leghorns. If they aren't flighty, I think you are looking at a bird that has recent forays into other genetics (I'm looking at you, Mille Fleurs!) I got some 55 Flowerys this year from Greenfire and they are essentially Leghorns. They are the WILDEST Leghorns I've ever had! They make the Brown Leghorns look like a stroll in the park. Very pretty, though, and can't wait for them to start laying to see how they do. Since they have been commercial layers, I expect good things from them. The ability to instantly see at hatch which are roosters and which are hens is very nice, too. I already offed 3/4 of the roosters when they were a few weeks old at decent feed savings because of it. I can kill them right out of the incubator because it seems mean . . .
Years ago, I got several colors of leghorns from people who raised them for showing in the big chicken shows. They were all old show lines. As I remember, I got white ones, black ones, and red ones. They were a bit larger than hatchery leghorns, and they were calm. I could reach down and pick one up any time I wanted to. I could even set one on my shoulder and go walking around. That's how tame they were.
Chickens that aren't bred to be tame don't make good show birds. That's one of many differences between show chickens and hatchery chickens.
They're by far my favorite! There are those hobbyists who hate them because they're 'flighty' - but not sure why people care so much if they're truly into production birds and not pet chickens. They're not supposed to be your friends.
We have mainly browns and whites. Someday I'd like to breed several varieties of the rarer types.
Not much more striking than the exchequers. Generally, the plain white ones will outperform all the others though. Number of eggs per year, age when they start laying, feed conversion, age when you can sex straight run birds, all make leghorns stand out. I've pulled the breasts out of the little cockerels, mighty fine eating, almost like quail. Though it's not big, they do put on meat at an early age. It seems like a lot of other breeds grow bone for the first three months and then start putting meat on it. (Outside of broiler breeds.) The leghorns have meat on their breasts a lot sooner than you'd think.
A Rose Comb leghorn in Golden Duckwing, ready to butcher by 15-16 weeks (16 to meet "Heritage" criteria for marketing), small boned, and less feed consumption...
Seems The wife needs to let me build some more chicken pens.
The big downside to leghorns. They lay white eggs. Might be able to cross them with something and get other color eggs, I believe there is a green egg leghorn composite breed out there, it's been discussed on here can't remember the name for the creation though. But it would take some very careful breeding to end up with reliable egg production and keep another color.
The problem with white eggs is that if you sell eggs, nobody wants them. Everyone knows that white eggs come from a factory farm laboratory and only brown eggs come from a farm. Ha.
The big downside to leghorns. They lay white eggs. Might be able to cross them with something and get other color eggs, I believe there is a green egg leghorn composite breed out there, it's been discussed on here can't remember the name for the creation though. But it would take some very careful breeding to end up with reliable egg production and keep another color.
The problem with white eggs is that if you sell eggs, nobody wants them. Everyone knows that white eggs come from a factory farm laboratory and only brown eggs come from a farm. Ha.
I've thought about the white eggs. I figure it would provide an opportunity to educate people. If people don't want to buy my eggs, thats ok to. We'll eat them, give them away, or donate to the soup kitchens.
I'll still have my New Hampshires for brown eggs and roasters. Selling eggs around here is kinda tough anyway because almost everyone has chickens in their backyard.
We sell a mix of white, brown, and green. We RARELY have trouble with people wanting only brown. A quick little bit of education usually clears that right up. Last time we had trouble we had a lady who did NOT want any green eggs because they 'taste bad'.
We don't cater to them. We have no trouble selling the beautiful mix of egg colors and the vast majority of people LOVE the beautiful mix. White eggs have never been an issue for us to sell. Around easter, most people WANT the whites so they can dye them.
Leghorns lay a bunch of eggs, are very beautifully shaped, and make great squab/fryers.
Eat very little grain compared to a DP breed and come in many different colors.
They feather and mature quickly.
I've always admired the little birds and admit I have a weak spot for them. I like productive fowl, and Leghorns are very productive.
You're not going to get a Roaster out of them, that's where a good DP or Old Meat bird would come in handy. But for someone who loves to grill like I do, the fryer birds are perfect size and tenderness.
HAHAHHA!!! If you love Leghorn Foghorn!! then they are the Best!! I am plagued with the serious problem of loving diversity! So? I end up with everything from White leghorn, to Chukers, Bobwhite quail, pidgons, and since there are several thousand kinds of chicken? i haven't exactly found the perfect breed? I love them all!! Turkeys, Ducks, pheasants, Pea fowl! So many how do you choose?? I wish I was like you and could pick one specific breed! abut alas I am doomed to diverse taste! hehe best wishes!! I,m the same with rabbits, goats, horses, cows, pigs, etc. I just can't have them all! but still trying! best wishes ray!
Black, white, silver, buff, light brown, dark brown, cuckoo, Mottled, and probably a few more I have missed. I wouldn't doubt somebody has blue and splash around somewhere. I'd have to look in the SOP to see which colors are recognized.
Also come with a Single or Rose comb. Not sure how I missed that last night in the op.
They are pretty birds. I'm not a fan of their giant wattles and combs, both visually and for practical reasons here in Vermont. I do like the rosecomb versions better. I do prefer my birds a little more mellow though. Stress isn't good on an animal and if I can work around birds with power tools and a dog and moving tarps and grain bags in their presence, I'm happy to have a flock like that.
That said, I'd love to see pictures of your birds.
I only have a couple leghorns in the flock. This was just some brainstorming I was doing. Looking at the good qualities of the Leghorn outside of the industry type.
I may add a flock of Leghorns in the spring. For now the New Hamps will do.
I've thought about a little flock of Leghorns as barnyard birds for bugpicking and clean-up duty, They seem flighty and fast enough to maybe avoid predators. Only problem is that a lot of broodiness has been bred out of them, so not necessarily self-replacing.
There really is NO perfect breed of chicken. Just like with dogs and horses.
Leghorns lay a bunch of eggs, are very beautifully shaped, and make great squab/fryers.
Eat very little grain compared to a DP breed and come in many different colors.
They feather and mature quickly.
I've always admired the little birds and admit I have a weak spot for them. I like productive fowl, and Leghorns are very productive.
You're not going to get a Roaster out of them, that's where a good DP or Old Meat bird would come in handy. But for someone who loves to grill like I do, the fryer birds are perfect size and tenderness.
Leghorns are a very small chicken that lays lots of very big eggs.
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