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LeghornsLeghorns are the best know of the egg-producing varieties or Mediterranean class. They are the premiers in laying and the standard by which the prolifacy of other breeds is judged. Ancestry
 As to the origin of the Leghorns there are differences of opinion, and there is but little information to be found anywhere concerning their early history. It is generally conceded that a race of fowls bearing a close resemblance in many respects to the Leghorn has existed in Italy and other parts of the Continent of Europe for a long period of time. That this race has been widely disseminated admits also of little doubt, inasmuch as at the present day it is known in Denmark and other counties as the Italian. There seems to be good ground for the statement that Leghorns were first introduced into America from Italy. The story goes that as early as 1834 a vessel from Leghorn brought to this country as a part of its cargo a small shipment of fowls, which were at once named "Leghorns". They immediately became popular, their prolific laying and non-sitting qualities being recognized at this early date. White and Brown Leghorns were the first varieties known. Modern breeders are responsible for some of the sub-varieties of the breed; and, in point of color at least, exhibition birds of today, even of the older varieties, vary considerably from those seen at the present time in Italy. Functionality
The Leghorn fowl holds the same place among poultry that the Jersey holds among cattle. The question of profit in poultry has been decided in favor of egg-producing breeds. Leghorns are lively, active, and of a restless disposition, the best of foragers, and will pick up a good part of their living during the year. They are light eaters and the cost of raising them to maturity is about one-half that of the Asiatic varieties. They mature early, feather quickly, the pullets often begin laying when 4 months old, and cockerels crow at about the same age. They are the best layers, averaging between 150 to 200 eggs per year. Their eggs are pure white in color, and weigh about 10 to the pound. As table fowls they are fairly good. By many they are considered excellent. The only thing that can be said against them is that they are small in size. Altogether, they are one of the most profitable breeds of poultry that can be kept upon the farm, and the cheapness of their keeping will allow the raising of two Leghorns for the cost of one Asiatic. They must be warmly housed in winter to lay well and to protect their pendulous wattles from frostbite. Description
In shape a Leghorn cock (fig.17) should be graceful; body, round and plump, broad at the shoulders, and tapering toward the tail. The tail should be well balanced on a fair length of shank and thigh, the length of leg giving the bird its sprightly and proud carriage. Closeness of feathering adds to the general shape and secures a freedom from angles which proclaims the pure bred, typical specimen. The breast should be full, beautifully curved, rather prominent, and carried well forward. Neck, long, well arched, and carried erect; back, of medium length, with saddle rising in a sharp, concave sweep to the tail; tail, large, full, carried upright; the full, flowing tail, and long, well-curved sickles are characteristics of the bird that are much thought of. The wing is long, well folded, and tightly carried. hackles and saddle feathers, long and abundant and flowing well over the shoulder and saddle. The legs are bright yellow and free from feathers; toes also yellow, but a dark shade is allowable. The head is the prettiest portion of the bird, being short and deep; yellow beak, full, bright red eyes, and bright red face.  The comb is single, of medium size, perfectly straight and upright upon the head, free from side sprigs, deeply serrated with five or six points, and bright red. The comb should extend well back over the head, with no tendency to follow the shape of the neck. Ear lobes, white or creamy white. The Leghorn Hen in many respects resembles the cock, excepting carriage of comb and sexual differences. In shape and carriage the hen is even more graceful and sprightly than the cock, very close in feather, and rather small in body, though somewhat long in back. Her breast is full, very round, and carried high; legs fairly long, and shanks thin; tail carried closely and well up. The general carriage should be upright.  Her comb is the marvel of her beauty; it is single and falls gracefully to one side, but not in a limp manner, or so as to obscure the sight. Fig. 19 shows an ideal comb of Leghorn female. Legs, comb and face are the same color as in the male, but ear lobe is much smaller. There are six standard varieties of Leghorns:
The Black Leghorn is a popular bird, and a favorite with those who are partial to its color of plumage. The Black Leghorn is mistaken by many for the Black Minorca, but is quite different in type. The Minorca is larger in size, has a longer body, larger comb, and dark slate or nearly black shanks and toes. The plumage of the Black Leghorn is a rich glossy black throughout. Comb, face, and wattles, bright red; ear lobes white; and shanks yellow, or yellowish black.  The Brown Leghorns (fig. 20) are one of the prettiest, as well as the most commonl;y bred of the Leghorn varieties. They are the most difficult of all to breed to feather. They have merited the confidence of poultry lovers for a long time and their hardy constitutions have thwarted rough usage and promiscuous interbreeding to efface their characteristics. They are a fixed breed and their merits are noticeable from the newly hatched chick to the oldest specimen; they are stamped with indelible marks of royalty only to be found in a thoroughbred. In mating Brown Leghorns opposites must be considered. Should the male be fine in all points except comb or leg, select females strong in this point to mate with him. The most successful breeders use a double mating, one pen to produce exhibition birds of each sex. Fine birds, both cockerels and pullets, can be bred from the same pen by using slightly different types of females. The same male often will breed the finest of both exhibition cockerels and pullets, but it is a rare case to have a female breed both sexes of a remarkable quality. When two pens are used, at the head of the pen mated to produce the cockerels place a fully developed cock with no serious fault, standard color, especially strong in comb, lobe, hackle, and saddle, a dark under-color preferred. To him mate hens of a shade darker than standard, with smal;l, evenly serrated, standing combs; a trifle brick color on wings is no objection, as it will give a brighter color on wing bows of the cockerels. Shafting on the back will also help the black stripe in the saddles.  The pullets raised from this pen will be too dark for exhibition, but they will be a great help in breeding cockerels the next season. The male at the head of the pen mated to produce the pullets should be from a pullet strain, and bred directly from an exhibition hen. His color is a trifle light; comb large, but evenly serrated, if thin near the top, all the better; hackle, well striped (see fig.21), but none in saddle; under-color of hackle and saddle may be light grey or white; wing bows should show more purple than red, as too much red shows signs of being bred from a "bricky" hen. To him mate exhibition females having light brown penciled with darker brown on back and wings, all one shade, free from shafting on back and brick color on wings. These hens should have the large comb, lying over, but firm and strong on the head, so it does not lie close to the eye and face. The cockerels raised from this mating are the birds to use for breeding females the next year. By breeding Brown Leghorns in this manner we have two distinct lines of blood, and they should never be crossed.  The Buff Leghorn (fig. 22) is the most recent acquisition to the Mediterranean class. It is a beautiful bird, and one that will win its way wherever bred. Buff-colored birds have many admirers, and those who have bred them are pronounced in praise of their qualities. Besides having the general characteristics of the Leghorn type, the Buff Leghorn cock has rich buff-colored hackle and saddle, in shade from lemon to cinnamon, but of even, solid color in keeping with the rest of the plumage; the back and the wing bow exactly match the plumage; tail, of the same general tint, but richer, deeper buff is preferable, the standard giving for tail a rich, deep buff or copperish-bronze. The remainder of the plumage is of a slightly lighter shade, but even in color throughout, with no semblance of a patchy or mottled plumage. White and black feathers in plumage are objectionable; solid white or solid black feathers will disqualify the bird. The hen is of the same color as the cock. Dominique Leghorns are not so generally known. Their color is much like that of the American Dominique and Barred Plymouth Rock, and is what is know as "Cuckoo" by English breeders. The body color is grayish-white, each feather regularly crossed with parallel bars of blue-black, producing the effect of a blueish-tinged plumage. This color is the same throughout. The ground color of each feather is a clear, light blueish gray. The shanks and toes are bright yellow and eyes bright red. Silver Duckwing Leghorns are not generally bred in this country, though they are frequently seen in the showrooms. They are considered as profitable as any other Leghorn varieties, and in point of beauty they are very interesting and fascinating. They take the name "Duckwing" from the similarity of the steel blue wing bar to that of a mallard or wild duck, the name being first given to a variety of games-- the Silver Duckwing Game. The hackle and saddle feathers of a Silver Duckwing Leghorn cock are pure silvery white, without the slightest straw or creamy tinge, with a narrow black stripe along the center of the lower hackle feathers. Back, saddle, wing bow and wing bay, pure white; breast, under parts, wing bar, and tail, dense lustrous black. The Silver Duckwing Leghorn hen has a silvery gray hackle, with a narrow black stripe through the center of each feather. The breast is light salmon, shading off to grey toward the sides; the body color when viewed at a short distance should appear gray, with a faint blueish tint all over. A tendency to ruddy gray, either in ground color or penciling, is objectionable. The tail is black or dark brown, except the two upper feathers, which are light gray. The penciling or markings are irregular or wavy. The White Leghorn, like the Brown, is one of the most generally bred of the Leghorn varieties. It is, no doubt, the most advantageous to breed for profit, and the easiest to raise on the farm. Being of one color in plumage these birds are more successfully raise and cared for than the parti-colored varieties. Their plumage is pure white throughout, and feathers other that white will disqualify them. It has been a matter of much speculation as to which variety of Leghorns is most prolific in egg production. This is a difficult question to properly adjust to the satisfaction of the specialty breeders, but from a conservative standpoint it is generally considered that the Whites have slightly the advantage over the others. Phenomenal individual egg records have been made by almost all varieties, but the above opinion is advanced from the general results obtained from several sources.  There are sub-varieties both in Brown and White Leghorns -- the Rose-comb Brown and the Rose-comb White. The only distinguishing difference between the last named and the other varieties is in the comb. The Rose-comb White and Rose-comb Brown Leghorns have a small rose comb (see fig. 23), square in front, firm and even upon the head, tapering evenly from front to rear, without inclining to one side, the top comparatively flat and covered with small points, or corrugations, terminating in a well-developed spike in the rear. Characteristics
There are no standard weights given for the Leghorn varieties. |