Leghorn chicken
The Leghorn is the famous Italian white-egg layer. White Leghorn lines underpin commercial layers worldwide.
The Leghorn is a pure-bred chicken breed in the PCGB Soft Feather Light class. Its origin is given as Tuscany, Italy. It appears on the RBST Watchlist as a priority breed, so keepers of pure stock help conserve it.
It is kept in large and bantam forms. Recognised colours: Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Cuckoo, Golden Duckwing, Silver Duckwing, Exchequer, Black Mottled, Red Mottled, Partridge, Pile, White. Typical adult weights: cock about 3.4 kg, hen about 2.5 kg, bantam cock about 1.02 kg and bantam hen about 910 g.
Expect roughly 180–250 eggs a year, with white shells. It is mainly kept for eggs.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, rbst.org.uk, poultrykeeper.com, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
Photos
From keepers' flocks
No keeper photos yet.
Keep this breed? Add your birds on Flockstock and share a photo from the bird's page. Go to my flock
Identity
- Species
- Chicken
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Soft Feather Light
- Origin
- Tuscany, Italy
- Kept for
- Eggs
History
It descends from rural Tuscan light breeds and is named after the port of Livorno, from which birds were shipped to America around 1828–1852. The name 'Leghorn' is recorded from 1865. White birds came to Britain from the USA in 1870. UK and US types later grew apart.
Appearance
Many UK colours, including White, Brown, Black, Buff, Cuckoo, Exchequer and the duckwings. Large single or rose comb.
Recognised colours
Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Cuckoo, Golden Duckwing, Silver Duckwing, Exchequer, Black Mottled, Red Mottled, Partridge, Pile, White
Size and weight
- Forms
- Large, Bantam
- Cock
- 3.4 kg
- Hen
- 2.5 kg
- Bantam cock
- 1.02 kg
- Bantam hen
- 910 g
Eggs
- Eggs a year
- 180–250
- Egg colour
- White
- Notes
- Poultrykeeper gives 180–250 large white eggs.
Temperament
- Keeping notes
- Matures early, is hardy, light and flies well.
Hardiness
Hardy
Broodiness
Rarely broody
Flying
Flies well
Suitability
- Good to know
- Rarely goes broody.
Conservation status (RBST)
A priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist.
Breed club
- The Leghorn Club, breed-specific
Sources
This page is compiled from:
Review
Nothing is flagged on this page at the moment. Breeds and strains vary, so check with a breeder or club too.
Suggest a change
Spotted something wrong or missing? Tell us what it should say, and we'll review it.