Leghorn is a chicken of Mediterranean origin and increased egg production. It was bred in the 19th century in Italy, its name was given in honor of the Italian port of Livorno. Later it was crossed with fighting, Spanish, Japanese decorative breeds, as well as with the white Minor. Today Leghorns are common all over the world.
Description of Leghorn chickens
Leghorn chicken is a rather small, very mobile, early maturing and hardy bird weighing 1, 8–2, 5 kg (a cock may weigh a little more). She has a wedge-shaped and slightly raised body, folded in proportion, a rounded and convex chest with perfectly developed muscles, a voluminous belly. Her back is wide, elongated, concave in the middle. The head is of medium size, decorated with a bright red erect (in roosters) or leaf-shaped comb hanging to one side (in chickens).
The eyes are expressive. The beak is yellow, slightly curved at the end, the legs are of medium length, thin. The tail shape is raised or lowered, depending on the sex of the bird. In general, the appearance of the chicken is the same as that of other egg-bearing breeds. More than 30 species of Leghorns are distinguished by color, the most popular of which are speckled, fawn and white.
Both the chicken and the Leghorn rooster have a lively and hardy character. They are well acclimatized, temperaments and mobile, able to constantly be in motion in search of pebbles, insects and food. They perfectly adapt to any conditions. They do not have an instinct for incubation, but they are able to become an excellent starting material for breeding new breeds that will have good production indicators. By the way, it is for this purpose that they are most often bred.
Productive data of white leghorn:
Leghorn chickens are an egg-laying breed. Only one individual is capable of producing 200-300 eggs with snow-white shells per year, each weighing 55-58 g. Moreover, the first time a hen lays an egg after 4, 5-5 months from the date of birth. Not a single chicken of another breed is capable of this. However, it is worth noting that in the second year, the egg production of the bird decreases sharply. You can breed Leghorn laying hens using an incubator. The hatchability of young animals is 87-92%.
Keeping Leghorn chickens
The egg-bearing breed of Leghorn laying hens does not require special care. She can easily live in a small chicken coop built on a personal plot. Often she can be found walking around the courtyard. But it is still worth creating suitable conditions for the life of the bird in the chicken coop. This will increase the number of eggs laid (per year). Leghorns also live very well in cages. They very quickly adapt to such conditions and delight their owners with a large number of eggs.
