Ever heard of Foghorn Leghorn from those old Looney Tunes cartoons? Well that famous rooster was based on a real chicken breed that’s actually one of the most important in the poultry world! If you’re considering adding some productive layers to your backyard flock, you definitely want to know about the amazing Leghorn chicken.
As a chicken enthusiast who’s raised these birds for years I’m excited to share everything you need to know about this remarkable breed. Leghorns aren’t just another pretty bird – they’re the powerhouse of the egg-laying world!
Leghorn Chicken: Quick Overview
Before we dive into all the details here’s a quick snapshot of what makes Leghorns special
| Characteristic | Description |
|---|---|
| Origin | Italy (Tuscany region) |
| Type | Standard and Bantam |
| Class | Mediterranean |
| Purpose | Primarily egg-laying |
| Temperament | Active, intelligent, somewhat flighty |
| Egg Production | 280-320 eggs per year |
| Egg Color | White |
| Egg Size | Large to Extra Large |
| Weight | Males: 3.4 kg (7.5 lbs), Females: 2.5-2.7 kg (5.5-6 lbs) |
| Lifespan | 5-7 years |
| Broodiness | Rarely broody |
| Heat Tolerance | Excellent |
| Cold Tolerance | Moderate (comb frostbite risk) |
The Fascinating History of Leghorn Chickens
The Leghorn chicken has quite an interesting background that many people don’t know about. These birds originated from the Tuscany region in Italy, where they began as landrace chickens (locally adapted, traditional varieties).
The name “Leghorn” is actually just the anglicized version of “Livorno,” which is the Italian port city from which these chickens were first exported to North America. This happened around 1828-1830, though some sources say it could have been as late as 1852.
Here’s a cool bit of trivia – when they first arrived in America, these chickens weren’t even called Leghorns! They were simply known as “Italians.” It wasn’t until 1865 in Worcester, Massachusetts that they started being referred to as “Leghorns.”
The breed went through some interesting developments after arriving in America:
- Captain Gates of the US brought Leghorns to Connecticut
- American breeders refined the breed, including breeding for rose combs
- White Leghorns won at the New York show in 1868
- The breed was eventually shipped to the UK around 1870
- English breeders crossed them with Minorcas to create more robust birds
- These “improved” birds were then sent back to the US around 1910
This cross-breeding caused a split among Leghorn admirers – some wanted to preserve the original type, while others preferred the more productive industrial version. This division continues today, though most modern Leghorns are raised for industrial egg production.
Appearance and Recognized Varieties
When most people think of Leghorns, they picture a white chicken with a large floppy comb. But would you believe there are actually many different color varieties? It’s true!
The most distinctive physical feature of Leghorns is definitely their comb. They typically have either:
- A large single comb (most common)
- A rose comb (specifically bred for cold climates)
Their overall appearance is sleek and aerodynamic – they’re active birds built for efficiency rather than meat production. They have white earlobes (which indicates they lay white eggs), bright yellow legs, and an alert, upright stance.
As for colors, there’s quite a variety! In the United States, ten colors are recognized for single-combed large fowl:
- White (most common)
- Red
- Black-tailed red
- Light brown
- Dark brown
- Black
- Buff
- Columbian
- Buff Columbian
- Silver
In Britain, the Leghorn Club recognizes even more – 18 different color varieties! And in Italy (the breed’s homeland), there are 10 recognized color varieties.
Leghorn Temperament: What to Expect
I’ve raised Leghorns for years, and let me tell you – they have personality! These chickens aren’t your typical lap birds, but they do have some endearing qualities.
Leghorns are:
- Extremely active and high-energy
- Intelligent and resourceful
- Good foragers who will find much of their own food
- Alert and somewhat flighty (they can be nervous)
- Independent with an aloof nature
- Capable flyers who like to roost in trees
- Sometimes noisy (especially the hens after laying)
While not typically cuddly, some Leghorn owners report that with consistent handling from a young age, these birds can become friendlier. But don’t expect them to be as docile as breeds like Orpingtons or Silkies. Their somewhat wild and independent nature is part of what makes them so self-sufficient and productive.
One important note: if you have small children who want to hold and cuddle chickens, Leghorns might not be the best choice unless you’re willing to put in extra socialization time.
Egg-Laying Capabilities: The True Superstars
Now we’re getting to what Leghorns are truly famous for – their incredible egg-laying abilities! If you want a consistent supply of eggs with minimal feed costs, it’s hard to beat the Leghorn.
Here’s what makes their egg production so impressive:
- They lay 280-320 eggs per year (that’s 4+ eggs per week!)
- Their eggs are white-shelled and start large, becoming extra-large as the hen ages
- They begin laying earlier than many breeds
- They continue laying well into their third or fourth year
- They have an excellent feed-to-egg ratio (they eat less than many breeds while producing more eggs)
One thing to note – Leghorns are not broody hens. This means they rarely want to sit on and hatch eggs. This is actually intentional breeding, as commercial operations don’t want hens taking breaks from laying to raise chicks. If you want to hatch Leghorn eggs, you’ll need either an incubator or a broody hen from another breed.
Health and Hardiness
Good news for beginners – Leghorns are generally robust and healthy birds! They don’t have many breed-specific health issues to worry about.
These chickens are:
- Heat-tolerant (their Mediterranean origins show here)
- Somewhat cold-hardy, though their large combs can be susceptible to frostbite
- Naturally resistant to many common chicken ailments
- Long-lived for production birds (5-7 years is common)
If you live in a cold climate, you’ll want to protect those large combs from frostbite by applying petroleum jelly during winter months, or consider getting the rose-comb variety which is less susceptible to cold damage.
Is the Leghorn Right for Your Flock?
So should you add Leghorns to your backyard flock? Let’s break down the pros and cons:
Pros of Leghorn Chickens:
- Outstanding egg production
- Excellent feed-to-egg ratio (economical)
- Generally healthy and disease-resistant
- Self-sufficient foragers
- Heat-tolerant
- Long productive lifespan
- Beautiful, classic appearance
Cons of Leghorn Chickens:
- Not typically cuddly or friendly
- Can be flighty and nervous
- May be too active for small spaces
- Large combs need protection in winter
- Not good mothers (rarely broody)
- Can be noisy
- Not ideal for meat production
Leghorns are perfect for you if:
- Egg production is your main priority
- You have enough space for active birds
- You don’t need your chickens to be particularly friendly
- You’re looking for efficient, economical layers
They might not be ideal if:
- You want chickens mainly as pets for children to handle
- You have very limited space
- You prioritize meat production
- You live in an urban area where noise could be an issue
- You want natural hatching without an incubator
Tips for Raising Leghorns Successfully
If you’ve decided that Leghorns are right for you, here are some tips to help them thrive:
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Provide plenty of space – These active birds do best with room to forage and explore. While they can tolerate confinement, they’re happier with space to roam.
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Secure your fencing – Leghorns are good flyers, so ensure your fencing is high enough or consider clipping wing feathers.
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Handle chicks frequently – If you want friendlier adults, gentle handling from a young age makes a big difference.
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Protect those combs – In winter, apply petroleum jelly to combs and wattles to prevent frostbite.
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Provide enough roost space – These birds prefer to roost high, so give them appropriate perches.
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Expect some noise – Especially after laying, Leghorn hens can be quite vocal about their accomplishment!
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Consider their flighty nature – When catching or handling them, move slowly and calmly to avoid stressing them.
Commercial Importance of Leghorns
Beyond the backyard, Leghorns have enormous commercial importance. The white Leghorn is the foundation of most commercial egg-laying operations worldwide. Their efficiency at converting feed to eggs makes them economically superior for large-scale production.
Sadly, this efficiency has also led to them being one of the most exploited chicken breeds in industrial settings. Many commercial Leghorn hens spend their lives in battery cages with limited space and natural behaviors restricted.
The good news is that many of these industrial hens get a second chance at life when backyard chicken keepers adopt and rehome them after their commercial laying cycle. These “rescue hens” often thrive when given space, fresh air, and natural living conditions.
The Leghorn chicken truly deserves its reputation as an egg-laying champion. From humble beginnings in Italy to becoming the backbone of global egg production, this breed has proven its worth many times over.
While they may not be the cuddliest chickens in the coop, their intelligence, efficiency, and prolific laying make them a fantastic choice for anyone focused on egg production. Their distinctive appearance – especially that magnificent comb – adds classic chicken charm to any flock.
Whether you’re just starting your chicken-keeping journey or looking to add some serious layers to an established flock, the Leghorn deserves your consideration. Just be prepared for their active nature and don’t expect them to be lap chickens!
Have you raised Leghorns before? What was your experience like? We’d love to hear your stories in the comments below!
This article was last updated on March 7, 2025
A healthy treat for your flock
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Leghorn chicks should have access to food at all times and they should always have fresh, clean water available to them.
Once the leghorns are old enough to move outside, they should be housed in a safe, predator-proof chicken coop. The coop should be spacious, well-ventilated, and naturally lit. The coop should have soft, absorbent litter and it should be kept clean on a regular basis. There should also be 1 nesting box for every 4-5 leghorn hens. Leghorns prefer elevated nesting boxes, but the nesting boxes should still be lower than the roosts.
Since leghorns are a lightweight chicken breed, they don’t require as much coop space as heavier breeds. Leghorns need 4 square feet of coop space per bird. However, leghorns do benefit from more run space than other chicken breeds since they are very active. Leghorns need anywhere from 10-20 square feet of run space per bird.
Another caveat to raising a light breed chicken is the fact that leghorns love to fly! Roosts inside the coop can be as high as you can install them since leghorns will naturally seek out the highest places to roost in the coop. Make sure you supply at least 8” of roost space per leghorn. Leghorns love outdoor roosts in their run too! Since leghorns are good flyers, the run will need to be covered if you plan on keeping your leghorns confined. A 10 foot enclosure fencing may be enough to contain some leghorn hens, but others will quickly realize they can fly over even tall fencing.
Leghorn laying hens need to be fed a complete, balanced layer feed that contains at least 16% protein. While layer feed should constitute most of their daily diet, leghorn hens can also be fed healthy snacks and treats. Stick with natural snacks like grubs, leafy greens, and fruits on a frequent basis and feed other treats in moderation. Leghorns will also forage for most of their own diet if given the chance.
Leghorn hens should have access to a free-choice calcium supplement, like crushed oyster shells, at all times. Supplemental calcium is necessary so hens can consume additional calcium as needed to prevent calcium from being drawn from their bones for forming eggshells. Supplemental grit may also be necessary if your flock doesn’t have access to a natural source of grit. Your flock should always have fresh, clean drinking water as well.
To keep your leghorns healthy, you should perform regular health checks and work on keeping the coop clean. Monthly health checks on each bird can help you catch any signs of illness before they become serious. A clean coop and run will prevent ammonia fumes from causing respiratory issues and prevent bad bacteria from proliferating. Remove droppings, soiled litter, or damp litter from the coop litter regularly.
Once leghorns reach their second summer, they will go into a molt. Molting is the natural process of losing old, worn feathers and growing in fresh, new feathers. Hens will usually start to mold in late summer and into the fall. During this time, many hens will stop laying as they put energy into growing new feathers. Feed your leghorns a diet higher in protein during this time to facilitate the growth of new feathers. You can feed them high protein snacks or switch them over to a high protein starter feed (20% protein) during molting season.
Lastly, leghorns benefit from enrichment. They are a very active breed who benefit from natural stimulation to keep them from resorting to bad behaviors due to boredom. Letting your leghorns free-range is a great way to allow them to entertain themselves. However, if free-ranging isn’t option, keep their enclosure fun and interactive using various perches, logs, stumps, and benches. Leghorns are known to be very smart and they enjoy interactive chicken toys like treat balls, chicken swings, and even obstacle courses!
Leghorns are a hardy chicken breed and they are not prone to specific diseases. However, there are some health concerns you should keep in mind to help you keep your leghorns healthy and productive:
- External Parasites– Leghorns can get external parasites, like mites and lice, which can cause stress and is unhealthy for the hen. When performing regular health checks, look around the vent area for signs of external parasites. Ensuring that your flock has a place to dust bathe is a great way to prevent external parasites from becoming an issue!
- Egg Binding– Leghorn hens are known to lay progressively larger eggs as they age. As the eggs get larger, it can make a hen more prone to egg binding. You can help prevent egg binding in your hens by making sure they have access to free-choice calcium and minimizing stress factors.
- Frostbite– Frostbite is a concern for leghorns during cold, winter weather. Their large combs and wattles can collect moisture which can then freeze on the skin and lead to frostbite. You can prevent frostbite by applying a beeswax-based salve to the combs and wattles to repel moisture. Make sure the coop is well-ventilated to prevent moisture build-up in the air. Protection from exposure can help prevent frostbite caused by wind chill factors.
- Cancer– Industrial strains of leghorns are more prone to reproductive cancer due to poor genetics and overbreeding for egg production. Source your leghorns from reputable breeders if you want to avoid cancer in your flock.
- Organ Failure– Organ failure is another health concern in industrial strain leghorns. Being in high egg production mode all the time taxes the hen’s body and makes her more prone to organ failure. Poor breeding and overbreeding for high production also makes industrial hens more prone to organ failure.
The average lifespan of a leghorn is around 5-7 years, however, some individuals can live well beyond that when well-bred and cared for! There is a difference in lifespan between heritage bred leghorns and industrial bred leghorns.
Industrial strain leghorns are bred for high egg production. Breeders focus on production over other traits such as longevity. That, combined with the industrial hen’s proneness to cancer or organ failure, makes for a shorter average lifespan than heritage strain leghorns. Heritage strain leghorns are bred with more focus on longevity, hardiness, sustainability, and healthy genetics.
Both heritage strain leghorns and industrial leghorns will lay the best for the first 2 years of their life. Industrial leghorns will lay very proficiently and then rapidly decrease in productivity. Heritage strain leghorns tend not to lay as proficiently, but they will often lay very well up into their fourth and even fifth year of production.
Factors that play a role in the lifespan of a leghorn include breeding, diet, care, and overall health.
White vs Brown Leghorns
Two of the most common varieties of leghorns are the white leghorn and the brown leghorn. There are both light brown and dark brown leghorns, which are two separate varieties with different appearances.
White leghorns have pure white plumage with bright red combs and wattles. They have white earlobes and yellow beaks, shanks, and toes.
Light brown leghorns have orange/golden/yellow head and hackle (neck) feathers with black highlights. The plumage on the front of the neck is black in cocks and salmon in hens. The rest of the body plumage is dark brown to black with a black tail. Cocks have orange red to golden colored wings with black highlights.
Dark brown leghorns have a deep, reddish brown plumage color with black highlights and a greenish sheen to their feathers.
White leghorns, light brown leghorns, and dark brown leghorns all have similar temperament traits. They are all independent and active, but can be friendly and docile when handled from a young age. The main differences in these varieties is when it comes to egg production. Since many white leghorns have been bred for the commercial egg industry, they tend to be the better egg producers of any of the leghorn varieties. Light brown and dark brown leghorns are considered heritage varieties of the leghorn breed. They are often harder to find and source than white leghorns. While light and dark brown leghorns may not out lay a white leghorn, they are still excellent egg producers and tend to be hardier with a longer laying life than white leghorns.
Leghorns: NOT the Chicken Breed for Beginners! 5 Reasons They’re Not a Fit (Also: Why I Love Them!)
FAQ
Is a Leghorn chicken the right chicken breed for You?
Productive Breed. Leghorn chickens would be right for you if you want a chicken that will lay white eggs 4 to 5 times per week and/or you are looking for a fast-maturing chicken. They are also great if you’d prefer a hardy bird that enjoys foraging outdoors!
How big do leghorn chickens get?
Leghorn chickens typically reach 16″ in height, and weigh between 5-8 lbs when fully grown.
What does the Leghorn chicken look like?
What do Leghorn Chickens look like? It is interesting to note that these chickens are most commonly identified with white color, and large wattles even though they are found in a variety of colors such as black Leghorns, brown, red, silver, buff, and golden among others.
Should you get Leghorn or Ancona chickens?
Leghorns are also very active and flighty layers of large white eggs. In addition to their similarities in egg production and disposition, Leghorns weigh about the same as the Ancona. 2. Speckled Sussex. If you love the appearance of the Ancona but want a larger chicken, this is the breed for you.
What are Leghorn chickens known for?
Leghorn chickens are known for being exceptional layers of large white eggs, with hens laying around 280-320 eggs per year. They are also recognized for their excellent feed efficiency, meaning they convert feed into eggs with minimal waste, making them economical for both commercial and homesteaders. Other key traits include their active and flighty nature, strong foraging instincts, heat tolerance, non-broodiness, and adaptability to free-range environments.
What are the disadvantages of Leghorn chickens?
Weaknesses: Because of its lightness, the leghorn is not considered a viable meat producer. They also tend to avoid human contact and are nervous and flighty. Strengths: Barred Rocks are large, long-lived chickens. Some varieties are good layers while others are bred principally for meat.
Why are Leghorns not for beginners?
Leghorns aren’t recommended for beginners because they are skittish, flighty, and don’t typically bond with humans, making them poor pets. They require lots of space to free-range and can become bored and destructive in confined areas. Additionally, their tendency to be noisy makes them unsuitable for urban or suburban backyards, and their high-energy nature requires experienced handling to prevent escapes.
Why are they called Leghorns?
Birds were exported to North America in about 1828 from the Tuscan port city of Livorno, on the Tuscan coast. They were initially called “Italians”, but by 1865 the breed was known as “Leghorn”, the traditional English name of the city. The breed was introduced to Britain from the United States in 1870.