Leghorn

Home > ... > Fancy Chicken Breeds > Leghorn

Due to their egg production ability (approximately 300 a year) Leghorn chickens remain perhaps one of the most popular chicken breeds. Originating from Italy, the Leghorn’s cross-bred hereditary provides a rarely broody, mobile and efficient scavenging chicken. However, due to their nature, Leghorns do not necessarily make great pets. until recently, this breed was the most important in commercial egg production with some 24 recognised varieties.

Due to their prolific egg-laying, they are preferred by laboratories for embryonic and avian biological research as well as being the number one breed used for large-scale commercial egg production in the United States.

Leghorns are noisy birds, and somewhat smaller than other breeds. However, they are larger in size than the bantam.

Classification

Soft feather – light

Appearance

There are about 13 colours, ranging from black to blue, brown buff, white to mottled.

Weight

Cock	2.8 – 3.4 Kg
Hen	2.0 – 2.5 Kg
Cockerel	2.2 Kg
Pullet	1.8 Kg

Bantam Variety Leghorn

Rooster	1 Kg
Hen	0.9 Kg

Painting courtesy - A W Van Wulfften Palthe: C S TH Van Ginks Poultry Paintings 1890 1968, World Poultry Science Association, 1992.