Is it just me or is this breed just plain nasty? I had to give away 8 starting to lay pullets because they were killing my other birds.
There are all kinds of strains of Leghorns. Some are extremely flighty and some are calm and agreeable. Consider getting your next chicks from another source. I assume you use a pattern of behavior which assures them all is well when you enter their area. You should talk to them calmly and say something before opening the door. Keep their stress down and they should reward you with calmer behavior, but much of this is in the strain, I believe. I have had many sets of Highland 55 White Leghorns from Murray McMurray over the years and find them very agreeable birds. They are a little more aggressive than most other breeds, but this can be compensated for. Remember they are a production bird, and other things are often sacrificed to egg production abilities. Good luck.
Yesterday I was attacked by my white Leghorn rooster, age 6 months. Today I threw him out of the coop and now he goes after us every time we step outside. Other than having him as Sunday dinner, any advice out there?
We have had white leghorns who were the sweetest birds in the flock and white leghorns who were the meanest (to both us and other birds). They do tend to be a bit more aggrassive to other birds, but there is an extreme variance this breed.
I have only 2 leghorn hens and they were very aggressive at first. We bought them with some turkeys to teach them to eat and drink (to teach the turkeys)
Hi;We had Leghorns when I was a child.Our rooster used to chase me constantly.One day when I was about 12,I got madder than I was scared.I grabbed a broom handle and we had it out.We both took a beating,but both lived.To be brief,he never chased me again.Anyway,good layers,bad dispositions.I say"Rocks or Reds".
we had a mixed flock of americanas, booted belgium gamehens, unnamed mutts, and one white leghorn. all were calm, sweet natured, handelable and cooperative except for guess-who. my impression was that leghorns are just skittish.
They generally are! It is true of a number of Mediterranean breeds. (You know the Leghorn is a derivative of the breed, Italianer, and comes in MANY beautiful varieties in Europe.) CJR
So far, at the new house, they are behaving, but it took them a few weeks to "warm up" here. I warned her, and actually gave them to her for butchering but she wanted to try them out with her flock.
I will never own another one of them! This was my first time and my last. Never have I had such an aggressive gang of hens! Plus, they were spooky as everything. I raised them from chicks and they never were calm past the first day.
How do these skittery birds survive in commerical production? I never thought debeaking was cool before but I was ready to debeak them all behind the neck after they killed my Std Light Brahma hen!
By Anonymous on Sunday, March 28, 1999 - 11:37 pm:
By Lllemtb on Wednesday, September 8, 1999 - 12:32 pm:
By Chabo on Sunday, February 27, 2000 - 07:22 pm:
By Chick on Wednesday, April 26, 2000 - 06:46 pm:
after they went outside they killed my commersial araconda that we bought with them, and they didn't touch the other one. Now they have a 8 by 8 cage all to their own and are not as bad, but they are real skittish.
By Anonymous on Monday, May 15, 2000 - 04:31 pm:
By Anonymous on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 12:43 am:
By Cjeanr on Monday, January 22, 2001 - 04:30 am: