General Info
White Leghorns are commonly used as layer chickens in many countries of the world.
The Leghorn has red wattle, white earlobes, and either a single or rose comb.
Leghorns rarely go broody.
Origin
The Leghorn is a breed originating in Tuscany, in central Italy. Birds were first exported to North America in 1828 from the Tuscan port city of Livorno, on the western coast of Italy. They were initially called “Italians”, but by 1865 the breed was known as “Leghorn”. The breed was introduced to Britain from the United States in 1870.
Appearance
Our Roosters combs are very prominent andcstanf upright, the girls tend to display a floppy comb-over style.
Chick’s combs will be very yellowy/peach coloured, turning red in the next few weeks may tip you off it is a cockerel. Pullets combs often will not turn red until they are getting ready to lay.
Eggs
Leghorns are good layers of white eggs, laying an average of 280 per year and sometimes reaching 300–320, with a weight of at least 55 g. White Leghorns have been much used to create highly productive egg-laying hybrids for commercial and industrial operations.
Temperment
Non-industrial Leghorns are not aggressive by nature, but if you want a mixed flock, they should be kept with breeds with similar temperaments rather than more docile breeds.
Hardiness
Leghorns are both heat tolerant and cold hardy to a certain degree.
Since they were developed in a more temperate region (Italy), they are more heat tolerant than they are cold hardy.
With their small body size, clean legs, and large comb and wattles, leghorns are less prone to heat stress and heat-related issues.
Random Family Photos
Explore all of the breeds we offer on the Chicken Breed Index page or the Mugshot page we call the Chicken Breed Gallery.