Leghorn chicken
The Leghorn is a light, active Italian chicken kept for one thing: white eggs, and a lot of them. Hens weigh about 4½ lb and roosters 6 lb. They forage hard, eat little for what they lay and rarely go broody, but they are flighty, can fly, and the big single comb is prone to frostbite.
- Temperament
- Very active, Flighty, Good forager
- Cold tolerance
- Heat tolerance
- Coop space per bird
- 3 sq ft
- Lifespan
- 4–6 years
Is the Leghorn right for you?
Good fit if
- You want as many white eggs as possible for the feed you buy
- You have room for birds to range and forage
- You live somewhere hot to moderate
- You don't want hens going broody
Poor fit if
- You want a calm lap chicken. Some strains are flighty and easily startled
- You have a low fence. Leghorns fly and will roost in trees
- You want a meat bird. Hens weigh about 4½ lb
- You have hard winters and single-comb birds. The comb is prone to frostbite
Appearance and varieties
A Leghorn is a small, upright bird with a narrow breast, built more like a game bird than a farmyard hen. It has red wattles, white earlobes, a yellow beak, yellow skin and clean legs with four toes.
The comb is either a large single comb or a rose comb, depending on the variety. The APA's online list has 13 large-fowl varieties and 17 bantam ones. Light Brown, Dark Brown, White and Black, all single comb, were the first admitted to the Standard, in 1874.
The Livestock Conservancy draws a line between industrial Leghorns, which dominate white-egg production in America, and the non-industrial birds kept by small breeders, which it says look more like the original Italian imports.15
| Variety | Notes |
|---|---|
| Single Comb | Large fowl on the APA list: Black, Black Tailed Red, Buff, Dark Brown, Light Brown, Silver and White. Light Brown, Dark Brown, White and Black were admitted in 1874.51 |
| Rose Comb | Large fowl on the APA list: Black, Buff, Dark Brown, Light Brown, Silver and White. The Livestock Conservancy says rose-comb birds are better suited to cold places.51 |
Temperament and handling
Leghorns are busy. The Livestock Conservancy's one-line description is very active, and Oklahoma State University calls the breed small, spritely and noisy. They are keen foragers that can find much of their own food on range, and they will scratch anywhere, including a flower garden.
Some strains are flighty and easily startled. They fly well and will roost in trees given the chance. The Livestock Conservancy says non-industrial Leghorns are not aggressive by nature, but in a mixed flock they are better kept with breeds of similar temperament than with more docile ones.
Hens rarely go broody and are not the best mothers.12
Animals vary within a breed. Treat this as what to expect, not a promise, and meet the animal before you buy if you can.
Production numbers
What our sources report for the breed. If two sources disagree, you see the full range.
| Measure | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs per year | 150–320132 | The Livestock Conservancy's range for non-industrial Leghorns. Its chart says 250–300; Oklahoma State says around 200 or more. |
| Egg | White, large to extra large1 | |
| Broodiness | Rarely broody; not the best mothers12 | |
| Laying life | Average hen lives 4–6 years1 | |
| Start of lay | About 6 months6 | University of Minnesota Extension's figure for hens in general, not for this breed. |
Housing, feed and health
Housing
University of Minnesota Extension gives a minimum of 3 to 5 sq ft of indoor space per bird, one nest box for every 4 to 5 hens, and a place to roost. That is for chickens in general. The Livestock Conservancy adds that Leghorns tolerate confinement but get bored in too small an area, so plenty of room and a large coop with things to do suit them best.
The breed handles both heat and cold, with one weak point: the large single comb is prone to frostbite. The Livestock Conservancy says rose-comb varieties are the better choice for cold places. University of Minnesota Extension says frostbite comes from cold combined with damp air, so airflow through the coop matters in winter.6111
Feed
Feed a prepared ration balanced for vitamins, minerals and protein. Laying hens also need crushed oyster shell for eggshells and grit for digestion. That is general guidance from University of Minnesota Extension.
Leghorns are known as small eaters. The Livestock Conservancy's chart says the breed produces more eggs on less feed than any other. Keep clean, fresh water available all the time.613
Health
The Livestock Conservancy notes two things about the breed: the single comb is prone to frostbite, and because the hens lay so heavily the average life of a laying hen is only 4 to 6 years.
Otherwise the general advice applies. University of Minnesota Extension describes a healthy chicken as active and alert with bright eyes, and says the easiest way to spot disease is to know what normal looks like for each bird. Clean the coop and run weekly and clean feeders and waterers regularly.
This is a starting point, not veterinary advice. If a bird stops eating, wheezes or seems unwell, call a vet who treats poultry, or your county extension office.1611
Price and where to buy
| Quality | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Day-old pullet | $4.12–$7.1578 |
| Day-old chick, unsexed | $2.92–$4.9578 |
| Day-old cockerel | $2.27–$3.8978 |
Prices are per White Leghorn chick, read from two hatchery pages on 9 October 2026. Cackle's page carries customer reviews dated up to 16 February 2026; McMurray's carries a site notice dated November 2026. Both listed the chicks as unavailable or sold out for the season on the day we looked. The top of each range is for the smallest orders and the bottom for the largest. We found no dated price for non-industrial or exhibition stock from breeders.
Where to look
Start with a breeder you can visit. Nobody pays to be on this list.
| Seller or directory | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Livestock Conservancy breeders directory | Directory | For non-industrial Leghorns |
| Cackle Hatchery | Hatchery | Pullets $4.12–5.99, unsexed $3.09–4.49, males $2.50–3.89; ships February to mid August |
| Murray McMurray Hatchery | Hatchery | Sold as Pearl White Leghorn. Pullets $4.22–7.15, unsexed $2.92–4.95, males $2.27–3.85 |
History
The breed's exact origins are unknown. It most likely descends from the small landrace chickens of Tuscany, which laid many eggs on little feed. Leghorn is the English form of Livorno, the port the birds were shipped from. They first went to America around 1828 and again in 1830–31.
The birds behind today's non-industrial flocks arrived in 1852, when Captain Gates landed Brown Leghorns at Mystic, Connecticut. More Browns and the first Whites followed in 1853. A White Leghorn won the New York show in 1868, and by about 1870 the breed's mix of hardiness, laying and small appetite had made it popular.
White Leghorns went from America to England around 1870 and Browns in 1872. English breeders crossed them with Minorcas for size. From about 1910 those larger English birds came back to America and fed the shift to commercial egg farming.
The APA admitted Single Comb Light Brown, Dark Brown, White and Black in 1874, with more varieties added in 1883, 1886, 1894, 1929 and 1981.1
Common questions
How many eggs does a Leghorn lay a year?
The Livestock Conservancy gives 150–320 a year for non-industrial Leghorns, and 250–300 on its breed comparison chart. Oklahoma State University says around 200 or more.132
What colour eggs do Leghorns lay?
White. The Livestock Conservancy describes them as large to extra large.12
Are Leghorns friendly?
They are active rather than cuddly. Some strains are flighty and easily startled, and they can fly. The Livestock Conservancy says non-industrial Leghorns are not aggressive by nature.1
Are Leghorns cold hardy?
Fairly. The Livestock Conservancy says they tolerate both cold and heat, but the large single comb is prone to frostbite. Rose-comb varieties are the better pick for cold places.1
Do Leghorn hens go broody?
Rarely. The Livestock Conservancy lists them as non-setters and says they are not the best mothers.13
Where do Leghorn chickens come from?
Italy. They most likely descend from small landrace chickens in Tuscany, and the name is the English form of Livorno, the port they were exported from. The first went to America around 1828.1
Sources
The small numbers beside each fact point to one of these.
- The Livestock Conservancy, Leghorn – Non Industrial – Chicken.
- Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Leghorn Chickens (archived copy).
- The Livestock Conservancy, Heritage Chicken Breed Comparison Chart, 2026 (PDF).
- BreedBarn, Editorial rating, method on the editorial policy page.
- American Poultry Association, Accepted Breeds & Varieties.
- University of Minnesota Extension, Raising chickens for eggs.
- Cackle Hatchery, White Leghorn Chickens.
- Murray McMurray Hatchery, Pearl White Leghorn.
- American Bantam Association, Active Breed and Variety List, March 2021 (PDF).
- The Livestock Conservancy, Conservation Priority List.
- University of Minnesota Extension, Caring for chickens in cold weather.
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