Chickens of Leghorn breed, outwardly unremarkable, are very common in the world and in our country due to their high productivity.
Laygorn hens quickly ripen, have high egg production, are hardy and perfectly adapts to all weather conditions.
Due to this, they are happy to be bred in private and private farms.
More about this breed of chickens will be discussed in this article.
Breed origin
Leggorn takes its origin from Italy, where it was bred and named after an Italian port.
In those days, chickens were not particularly valuable - egg production was not as high as it is now. In the States, birds actively crossed with Japanese, Spanish, and minor fish.
After export to Europe, a huge selection work was carried out to increase their egg production and growth of young stock. The result was the emergence of birds, which became the basis for breeding Leggorn breed. At the same time, the characteristic signs of the breed not only did not disappear, but became much brighter and more revealing.
In the USSR, leggorny began to be imported in 1925, and on a larger scale - from the 1960s from Denmark, the USA, Japan, and England. The country saw an increase in industrial poultry farming.
Until 1975 these chickens were deliberately delivered to special poultry farms as an egg breed. It was from them that the Russian white breed was bred. Leghorn are used in poultry farms today. They are the basis for creating crosses and egg breeds.
General description of chickens Leggorn
As a rule, white leggorn are propagated in Russia. This color is most common in birds of this breed. Leggorny - small birds with a vertical wedge-shaped body, which is their hallmark.
They have a thin and long neck, a miniature head with a leaf-like comb. These chickens are real record holders in terms of egg production, while they weigh no more than 2.5 kg. They begin to rush at the age of 4 months.
Features
The leggorn has a bulky belly and a wide, deep chest, due to which they are well recognized by the population. The plumage is dense, the legs are of medium length, they are yellow in the young, and white in the adult bird.
The tail is wide, set on a slope of 40 ° relative to the body.. The color of the iris of young chickens is dark orange, in adults it is pale yellow. The ear lobes can be blue or white. A characteristic feature of the breed is red earrings.
There are leggorny with spotty, golden, cuckoo-kuropatochnom and brown colors. In the latter, hens have an inconspicuous color, while roosters are especially attractive - their plumage can be from golden red to black with a green overflow.
The leggorn cuckolish coarse-colored color appeared as a new breed in 1948. They are distinguished by mobility and friendliness, easy to maintain.
As in the case of brown coloring, hens and roosters are significantly different in color. Due to this, there is no particular difficulty in determining the sex of the chicken in the first days of its life. Golden chickens are beautiful and majestic in their color with a golden hue. They are characterized by an incredibly high egg production with low weight.
Spotted leggorny are unique in their color. They appeared in 1904 in Scotland, later none of the breed showed a similar color. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that in the plumage white dominates over black, while in other species it is the opposite.
Photo
In the following photo you see several individuals of both roosters and laying hens of the White Leggorn breed in one of the farms:
Photo of white chicken Leggorn on hands:
A beautiful copy of a rooster walking in the garden:
Here is a bigger farm. Chickens seemed to be photographed:
Males and females of partridge leggorn, or as it is also called “Italian partridge”:
Content and cultivation
As already noted, leggorny are not capricious, so they can be bred everywhere. Due to their endurance and good adaptability, they are especially actively bred in the northern regions.
Birds need a minimum amount of feed., therefore, they are ideal for economical people. As a rule, there are no separate recommendations for feeding chickens, but the food should be of high quality.
Like other breeds of chickens, young leggorn are first fed with eggs and grains, then wheat bran, vegetables, chopped bones, and greens are included in the diet.
Grown up chicks can be fed feed, as it has the necessary trace elements. Additional vitamins and easily digestible protein are recommended in the ration of the hens.
White leggorn's young grow especially fasttherefore, proper feeding is important. It is transferred to the diet of adult chickens at the age of 21 weeks.
It is not worth it before, since laying hens are fed with food rich in calcium salts, which can negatively affect the growth of young stock. When the period of high egg production begins, the birds need to be fed plenty. After the peak of egg production, in order to save the volumes, it can be reduced by 10%, this will not affect the productivity of the hens.
During periods of intense egg-laying, leggorny are particularly susceptible to noise hysteria, so it is important to limit them from loud noises. Otherwise, they begin to beat, scream, flap their wings, which is why their productivity drops drastically. Attacks can be repeated several times a day.
In homestead plots and small farms, leggorn can be kept in a henhouse with other chickens. Those who are just about to start breeding the Leggorn breed of breeders should remember that the instinct of brooding is poorly developed among the leggorn, so each year they will have to acquire chicks for breeding.
Specifications
Chickens with their low weight (2.5 kg on average) are annually demolished. more than 250 eggs. There are birds that produce up to 365 eggs per year. The peak of egg production occurs in the first year after the onset of egg-laying.
The fertility rate of eggs is high - 95%. Also the level of brood of young stock is high - 92-93%. The shell of eggs is white, the egg itself lead an average of 65-70 grams. Adult roosters weigh over 2 kg.
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Where to buy in Russia?
- According to recent data in our country there are more than 20 large breeding plants and farms, which are engaged in the breeding and improvement of the described breed.
One of these places is a farm located in the city of Nizhnyaya Tura of the Sverdlovsk region "Farmer". For any questions you can contact by e-mail [email protected] or from 19 to 20 hours by phone +7 (922) 039-27-84 (Valentin Arkadyevich).
- In the Altai Territory, p. Pervomayskoe Pervomaisky district on the street. International 9 "a" is a large poultry farm - JSC "Poultry Farm Youth", in which you can also buy leggorn (a large batch was delivered for breeding back in 2013). Telephone for communication: +7 (385) 327-70-50
- Another place - SEC "Poultry Farm Guy". Address: Kameykino village, Gaysky district, Orenburg region. Sales Department telephone: +7 (353) 624-32-19.
Analogs
Very similar to the described breed Russian white chickens, which appeared as a result of crossing Leggornov. They are similar in appearance, have similar characteristics: precocity, shell color. However, the Russian white advantage - it is well developed instinct nasizhivaniya, due to which she wins.
The New Hampshire breed (up to 200 eggs per year) lags a little behind in egg production, but it also has its own advantages.
Summing up, it can be noted that the Leggorn breed will not lose its popularity and will not be forgotten due to its egg production and ability to adapt to any conditions. It will continue to grow in private farms, household plots and poultry farms for many years.
