Brown Leghorns: Pics, Info, and Resources

Hey, everyone!

I'm interested in getting Brown Leghorns (SC or RC, it doesn't matter) and I would like to know as much as I can about them before I make any decisions. I would like to establish this as somewhat of a "Brown Leghorn Thread" so that I can get info and pics from people who own and/or breed them.

So if you've got Brown Leghorns, or you had them at one time, please post your pictures of, experience with, and information on Brown Leghorns. I would also be very indebted if, when you introduce your "contribution," you mention where your Leghorns came from (e.g. "I got my Leghorns from a breeder in Wisconsin" or "I got my Leghorns from a hatchery in Texas"). This will help me in my search for good stock.

Thanks!
~Gresh~

PS: I would like to know what the difference is between "Light Brown" Leghorns and "Dark Brown" Leghorns. I seem to recall hearing the distinction, but have never seen any good comparison photos.

I have a few light brown leghorn hens that give me lots of big white eggs! Mine are just hatchery quality from Ideal. I have to say, out of all the different breeds I have, these are by far the biggest troublemakers! One sneaky little devil keeps finding a way to sneak out of the pen every night, it's a wonder she hasn't been eaten yet. And just yesterday I happened to be cleaning out the nest boxes and saw a foot sticking out from behind one of them - somehow the silly thing had wedged herself between the wire behind the nest box and a storage shed on the other side of it - literally like 4 inches! She even laid an egg back there! It took forever to get her out but I did with no harm done. Crazy things!!

But I think they're fun, energetic little hens that don't eat very much but lay really well so they're ok to stay on my farm!

Light Brown Leghorns of course are an overall lighter shade of brown. The females are what the SOP describes as a "dark brown stippled with light brown, the lighter shade predominating."(SOP) therefor giving them a light brown apperance. the light brown male's color is an overall shade "orange red" on the hackle and saddle, with a black stripe in the hackle feathers.

The dark browns are a much darker overall compared to the light browns. the females are described in the SOP as "web of feather black. . . stippled with rich reddish brown"(SOP). while the males are described as a "rich brilliant red"(SOP) in the hackle and saddle. Unlike the light brown, the dark brown leghorn male has black striping in both the hackle and saddle feather.

hippiehen said:

I have a few light brown leghorn hens that give me lots of big white eggs! Mine are just hatchery quality from Ideal. I have to say, out of all the different breeds I have, these are by far the biggest troublemakers! One sneaky little devil keeps finding a way to sneak out of the pen every night, it's a wonder she hasn't been eaten yet. And just yesterday I happened to be cleaning out the nest boxes and saw a foot sticking out from behind one of them - somehow the silly thing had wedged herself between the wire behind the nest box and a storage shed on the other side of it - literally like 4 inches! She even laid an egg back there! It took forever to get her out but I did with no harm done. Crazy things!!

But I think they're fun, energetic little hens that don't eat very much but lay really well so they're ok to stay on my farm!

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mschlumb said:

Light Brown Leghorns of course are an overall lighter shade of brown. The females are what the SOP describes as a "dark brown stippled with light brown, the lighter shade predominating."(SOP) therefor giving them a light brown apperance. the light brown male's color is an overall shade "orange red" on the hackle and saddle, with a black stripe in the hackle feathers.

The dark browns are a much darker overall compared to the light browns. the females are described in the SOP as "web of feather black. . . stippled with rich reddish brown"(SOP). while the males are described as a "rich brilliant red"(SOP) in the hackle and saddle. Unlike the light brown, the dark brown leghorn male has black striping in both the hackle and saddle feather.

Click to expand...

Thanks, guys, for your input! Glad to hear about your experience and info. If you've got pictures of your Brown Leghorns, I'd love to see them! BTW, what does the Danish Brown Leghorn look like, and how does it differ between the Light Browns and Dark Browns?

Gresh said:

Thanks, guys, for your input!

Glad to hear about your experience and info. If you've got pictures of your Brown Leghorns, I'd love to see them! BTW, what does the Danish Brown Leghorn look like, and how does it differ between the Light Browns and Dark Browns?

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Danish Brown Leghorns are a strain of Light Brown Leghorns

I like both the dark and light versions and I think the light brown females are one of the most colorful breeds of females there are.

I too just have a hatchery version of Brown leghorns and yes they are a little different in temperament than some of the other breeds I have but they are great layers of big white eggs very active and make for good free range birds.

Brown Leghorns are my favorite, because they have beautiful coloring and they are great egg layers. The Brown Leghorn's colors help it hide better from predators than the whites. All the leghorns are quick and can fly short distances to get away from predators. This makes them a good choice for free ranging.

The name Leghorn is an anglicisation of Livorno, the port city in Italy where they were shipped from to the United States. Many people in the United States say "Legern."

I prefer the look of the single comb varieties, but if you live in a cold region the rose comb varieties are probably a better choice because the comb is less likely to get frostbite.

Here is a website for the American Brown Leghorn Club: http://www.the-coop.org/leghorn/ablc1.html

I especially like the Single Comb Light Brown Leghorn. Here are some pictures I found.

I like the comb on the first roo....looked a little balanced LOL!

Second roo looked too "beefy" but beautiful color! I think he is on the "heavy side" of Leghorns.

The pullet on the bottom pic is lovely! She would be a good comparison for newbies to find out if they got a Brown Leghorn or a Welsummer.

Hey guys,
Just out of curiosity why aren't brown leghorns called black breasted red leghorns? I notice that color pattern appears in both dark brown leghorns
and light. I really don't know much about this breed but they are definitely pretty birds. I know it's a random question but I thought this thread would
be the place to ask.

Good question!

Why aren't they called "black-breasted red leghorns"?

I will take a stab at this question.

Well, the hens are not black-breasted or red. It seems that most chicken breeds are named for the hens, and that it is probably because more hens are kept to lay eggs.

There is also a Red Leghorn, but both hens and roosters are red in that breed.

If they named brown leghorns after the rooster, it would have to have a long name because of all the colors in their feathers.