Leghorn

Why this fits you

Leghorns are the breed behind most commercial white eggs, and for good reason: 280-320 eggs a year is close to the ceiling for a standard breed. That production comes with tradeoffs -- Leghorns are flighty, don't tolerate handling as readily as calmer dual-purpose breeds, and their large single comb is prone to frostbite in genuinely cold, unheated winters.

Why Leghorns lay so many eggs

Leghorns were developed for egg production, and it shows. A good White Leghorn lays 280 to 320 large white eggs a year, begins laying early (often at 16 to 18 weeks) and does it on a lighter body. A hen weighs only about 4 to 5 pounds, so she converts feed into eggs more efficiently than heavier breeds. Most Leghorns almost never go broody, which keeps them laying but means you will need an incubator or another breed if you want to hatch chicks.

Temperament and handling

Leghorns are alert, active and noisy. They are fast, fly well and are easily startled, which makes them hard to catch and unsuited to children who want to hold a hen. Give them room and quiet, and expect them to flush to the roost or over a low fence if something spooks them. A secure run with a roof or a fence at least 6 feet high avoids escapes.

Climate

Leghorns do well in heat because of their light bodies and large combs and wattles, which help them shed heat. The same large single comb makes them vulnerable to frostbite in a hard freeze, so in cold climates provide a draft-free coop with good ventilation and consider applying petroleum jelly to combs on the coldest nights. They are not the best choice for places with long, severe winters.

Feed and housing

A Leghorn eats less than a heavy breed, but a hard-laying hen still needs a complete layer feed with adequate calcium. Offer oyster shell separately. Because they are so active, allow at least the standard 4 square feet per bird in the coop and 10 square feet in the run, and give them places to roost high.

Meat and the end of laying

Leghorns are poor meat birds. The carcass is small and lean, and there is little reason to raise them for the table. Production declines after the second year, and many keepers cull or replace hens at that point. If you want a bird that keeps contributing in other ways after her best laying years, choose a dual-purpose breed such as the Rhode Island Red or Australorp.

Colour varieties and egg quality

The White Leghorn is the production bird behind the breed's reputation. Brown, buff, black and other varieties exist but are often bred for show and may lay fewer eggs, so ask the seller about production before you pay for a rare colour. The thin-shelled white eggs need steady calcium, so keep oyster shell available. Because Leghorns mature early, expect eggs sooner than from most breeds, with a steep decline in the third year.

How it compares

Buying checklist

• Draft-free coop with comb protection for cold climates
• Taller fencing -- Leghorns fly and roam more than heavier breeds
• Feed ration mixed to ~16% protein once laying

Run the numbers