Standard
Varieties of Chickens:
Leghorns
Leghorns (fig. 17) are the best known of the
egg-producing varieties of Mediterranean class. They
are the premiers in laying and the standard by which
the prolificacy of other breeds is judged. Of the
origin of the Leghorn fowl 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. That this
race of fowls has been widely disseminated admits
also of little doubt, inasmuch as at the present day
the breed is known in Denmark and other countries as
Italians. 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, Italy, 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 nonsitting qualities being recognized at this
early date.
White and Brown Leghorns were the first varieties
known. Modern breeders are responsible for some of
the subvarieties of the breed, and, in point of
color at least, exhibition birds of today, even the
older varieties, vary considerably from those seen
at the present time in Italy.
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. They 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. Leghorns 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 the same age. They
are the best layers, averaging between 150 and 200
eggs per year. Their eggs are pure white in color,
and weight about 10 to the pound (.45 kg). 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.
In shape a Leghorn cock (fig. 18) 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 always 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 weep 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. Hackle and saddle
feathers, long and abundant and flowing well over
the shoulder and saddle. The legs are bright yellow
in color and free from feathers; toes also yellow,
but a dark shade on the same 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 in color. The comb should
extend well back over the head, with no tendency to
follow the shape of the neck. Earlobes, 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 think; 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 the earlobe is much
smaller and more round in shape.
There are six standard varieties of Leghorn: Black,
Brown, Buff, Dominique, Silver Duckwing, and
White.
The Black Leghorn is a popular bird, and a favorite
with those who are partial to their color of
plumage. The Black Leghorn is mistaken by many for
the Black Minorca, but is, however, 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; earlobes white; and shanks
yellow, or yellowish black.
The Brown Leghorn (fig. 20) is one of the
prettiest, as well as the most bred of the Leghorn
varieties. It is the most difficult of them 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 the
indelibility 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 undercolor preferred. To him mate
hens of a shade darker than standard, with small,
evenly serrated standing combs; a trifle brick 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 that 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 may be light gray 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 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 their 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 wing bow exactly match the plumage;
tail is 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 to 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
known 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 bluish-tinged plumage. This color is
the same throughout. The ground color of each
feather is a clear, light-bluish gray. The shanks
and toes are bright yellow and eyes bright red in
color.
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
of the 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 the
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, with out 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 gray toward
the sides; the body color when viewed at a short
distance should appear gray with a faint bluish 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 tray. The penciling or markings are
irregular or wavy.
The White Leghorn, like the Brown, is the more
generally bred of the Leghorn varieties. It is, no
doubt, the most advantageous variety to breed for
profit, and the easiest to raise on the farm. Being
of one color in plumage they are more successfully
raised and cared for than the parti-colored
varieties. Their plumage is pure white throughout,
and feathers other than 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 most all the
varieties, but the above opinion is advanced from
the general results obtained from various
sources.
There are subvarieties 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. There is no standard weight given for
Leghorns.
FOR
FURTHER READING...
The first three images below come from the Oklahoma State
University Department of Animal Science's Poultry
Breeds pages. The fourth image is from the FeatherSite, "an on-line zoological garden of domestic poultry". The Leghorns
page at Oklahoma and the Leghorns page at FeatherSite contain further information about this breed's
history and more images of these fowl. Clicking on
each image takes you to the page specifically about
that particular variety.
Image Credits
(from left to right):
Copyright © 1996, Oklahoma State University
Board of Regents;
Copyright © 1996, Oklahoma State University
Board of Regents;
Copyright © 1996, Oklahoma State University
Board of Regents;
Courtesy of Barry Koffler
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