LEGHORN QUESTIONS

[NorthGeogia]

I have had experience with Jersey Giants, Isa Browns and Golden Comet hens. I let them free range during the day and they return to the coop at night. They are poorly protected by 2 big, lazy dogs. I am surrounded by forest and never had a predator problem (I think because of the dogs). The Comets and Browns were great layers, but I couldn't keep them off the porch. Too much poop! The Giants didn't lay as much, but avoided the porch (the dogs like the porch). I was told it was because they were a heritage breed and therefore more predator savvy than the hybrids.
Would Leghorns be a good option?
Would they be predator savvy, and stay of the porch?
Do white leghorns significantly out-produce the brown, black and red varieties?

 

[Q-tip the indoor chicken]

Your flock sounds a lot like mine. If you are looking for a good layer, leghorns are the way to go. I have 1 leghorn hen right now (Dot) who gives us a healthy 1 egg every day. They are extra large. The leghorns themselves are a great breed - very easy to care for and are super hardy in the winter. They also are tough and will put up a good fight against predators

 

[AmazingRachel]

Yup, leghorns are great at free ranging. They are flighty and skittish so they should evade predators pretty well. Leghorns lay slightly less than sex-links at about 280 eggs in their first year.

 

[Pork Pie]

They are certainly skittish and very predator savvy (and as noisy as heck, in my experience )

 

[EggWalrus]

They are certainly skittish and very predator savvy (and as noisy as heck, in my experience )

All he said and more. Great layers of huge jumbo eggs that keep getting bigger and bigger. The most economical chicken for egg to feed ratio. One warning, mine like sleeping in trees, and will poo on the cars and anywhere else they take a notion to go. And they are known to roam long distances like Rhode Island Reds. I've caught mine headed down the dirt road going to town an 1/8 of a mile from home. Leghorns will tolerate being penned up but are happiest foraging. If they ever taste freedom, they will do every thing under the sun to escape being penned up. They are like little Houdini escape artists!
PS handle and pet them plenty regularly from the time they are little, otherwise you'll be lucky to ever get hands on them.

 

[rebrascora]

I would go for brown leghorns in your situation because they have better camouflage. They may not lay quite as well as white ones but they are very pretty and if you have cold winters you would be well advised to get the rose combed variety. They do love free ranging and they will lay their eggs all over the place given half a chance. My daily egg hunt used to involve ladders and crawling into awkward nooks and crannies to collect their eggs when I free ranged leghorns. I had exchequers which are the black and white mottled ones. Great personalities. I plan to hatch some more this year because I only have one cross bred daughter left from them. They can be very crafty and they like to get up a height if they can. They will probably be on the porch roof pooping on you, given half a chance!

 

[The Moonshiner]

On average the browns I've had were pretty close to the same production as the whites.
I don't have reds but do have black tailed reds. Decent size eggs but not as good of layers as the whites or browns.
Blacks do a bit better then BT reds but still not like browns and whites. Every black I've sourced from anywheres tend to be a bit smaller then any of the others and have laid the smallest eggs.

 

[Q-tip the indoor chicken]

All he said and more. Great layers of huge jumbo eggs that keep getting bigger and bigger. The most economical chicken for egg to feed ratio. One warning, mine like sleeping in trees, and will poo on the cars and anywhere else they take a notion to go. And they are known to roam long distances like Rhode Island Reds. I've caught mine headed down the dirt road going to town an 1/8 of a mile from home. Leghorns will tolerate being penned up but are happiest foraging. If they ever taste freedom, they will do every thing under the sun to escape being penned up. They are like little Houdini escape artists!
PS handle and pet them plenty regularly from the time they are little, otherwise you'll be lucky to ever get hands on them.

My leghorn flew into a tree and we couldn't get her out. She slept the night in it. We were worried something would get her, but she was fine

 

[EggWalrus]

My leghorn flew into a tree and we couldn't get her out. She slept the night in it. We were worried something would get her, but she was fine

It may seem strange but trees are one of the safest places they can sleep. 10 of 1000s of years sleeping in trees and they're still here.

 

[Q-tip the indoor chicken]

It may seem strange but trees are one of the safest places they can sleep. 10 of 1000s of years sleeping in trees and they're still here.

Ikr