Author Topic: leghorn chickens (Read 3825 times)

mentalmilly · « **on:** June 26, 2015, 06:53:49 pm »

My broody has hatched 3 leghorn ckicks and l would be grateful if anyone keeping these birds can give me any info on keeping them. Have heard the can be flighty, noisy, intelligent, spooked easily and hard to catch. Can this be true? Will they mix with other chucks or beat them all up? Not kept them before.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #1 on:** June 26, 2015, 07:01:45 pm »

They have a tendency to be flightier than the heavy soft-feathered fowl. They lay well and I suggest that if you can find the time you sit with them or pick them up and hold them gently so they understand you're not a threat. Once they're old enough to start to train them to come to call it will help. However, that said, some hens never do.

mentalmilly · « **Reply #2 on:** June 26, 2015, 09:13:10 pm »

Great thanks l will find the time

chrismahon · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2015, 01:09:56 pm »

We have brown leghorn bantams Mentalmilly. They are generally as you describe but not noisy and lay incredibly well for about two years. Very confident birds I think and easily trained- ours are very friendly indeed and take no effort to catch. However the top hen from the large fowl TNN's got into the wrong run once and was immediately severely beaten up by the bantam leghorn in it. So I'm not sure whether mixing them with other breeds will work?

mentalmilly · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2015, 03:16:11 pm »

thanks chrismahon they are being raised with 6 light sussex chicks all the same age, by a light sussex hen. The hen is a calm laid back sort and will let me near the chicks when they get a bit older so l will start to tame them early. Keeping then separate is possible so if they start to fight that's what l will do. I have 2 maran chicks that started to fight at 3 weeks and they were quite nasty about it. Not a nice natured group at all. Hope the leghorn are not as nasty.

Stereo · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2015, 08:47:09 pm »

I've got a large amount of Exchequers and they are OK once they get past a year old. Until then they are highly likely to fly out of anything but the highest of enclosures. Clipping wings helps and spending a lot of time sitting with them as well. Very nice and funny little hens and will lay like troopers. Eggs can be small at the beginning and end of each season but that maybe just my birds. I would recommend them. Good for free ranging and will even roost in trees if you like.

But, they are definitely not a Rhode or Sussex in terms of coming up and sitting on your lap (or in your salad). Just remember, when they are young they will fly if they can.

mentalmilly · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2015, 10:15:38 pm »

The run l have in mind has netting over so the flying problem may not happen l hope, thanks stereo.

mentalmilly · « **Reply #7 on:** June 28, 2015, 01:55:36 pm »

My leghorn chicks have hatched and we have 5 lovely golden coloured chicks and one black chick, now is this normal for leghorns or did this chick sneak in during the night when nobody was looking. To much to hope for colour sexing l suppose. Any ideas on this? The eggs were from auction and l have had fantastic results getting eggs this way.

chrismahon · « **Reply #8 on:** June 28, 2015, 02:19:56 pm »

Leghorns come in different colours, so the black one is either from a different hen or cock -perhaps a different pairing entirely or a mix up and a completely different breed? They are not auto-sexing, so that's not the reason for the completely different colour. However all ours looked the same except for a barely noticeable 'spot' of colour on the head at a week old. Turns out the three that had that spot were male, but it's so difficult to see I can't say it is a reliable means of sexing.

mentalmilly · « **Reply #9 on:** June 28, 2015, 03:59:30 pm »

Be interesting to see how it turns out. I will keep a lookout for the dark spot and let you know if mine are boys. Its a good way to tell the sexes if it works.