Breeds

Leghorn Chickens: Breed Facts, White Eggs, Temperament and History

Field guide · Updated October 18, 2026 · about 7 min read

The Leghorn is a small, light Italian breed kept almost entirely for its white eggs. Mississippi State Extension calls Leghorns "usually the best overall egg layers," Oregon State Extension puts the average commercial Single Comb White Leghorn at about 265 eggs a year, more than backyard breeds, and The Livestock Conservancy notes that most Leghorns alive today are industrial birds that dominate American white-egg production. This page collects the standard facts, the egg figures each source reports and what the breed asks of a backyard keeper.

Quick facts

Appearance and varieties

Oklahoma State and Purdue Extension describe a small, sprightly bird with red wattles, white earlobes and either a single or a rose comb, and Oklahoma State gives the skin as yellow. The Livestock Conservancy adds a game-bird-like body with a narrow breast and upright stance, orange or red eyes, yellow beak and legs, and four toes. White is by far the best-known color, but Mississippi State says white and brown are the most popular, and Oklahoma State lists nine single-comb varieties (Dark Brown, Light Brown, White, Buff, Black, Silver, Red, Black Tailed Red and Columbian) and four rose-comb varieties.

Weights depend on the type and on who is counting. The APA figures above match The Livestock Conservancy's (males about 6 lb, females about 4.5 lb); Mississippi State gives adults at 4.5–5.5 lb. English Leghorns run heavier: according to The Livestock Conservancy, English breeders crossed imported birds with Minorcas to add size, and Wikipedia reports a British standard weight of 7.5 lb for cocks.

The white earlobe is a useful clue. Jacquie Jacob of the University of Kentucky notes that commercial chickens with white feathers and white earlobes lay white-shelled eggs. Shell color says nothing about the egg inside: Mississippi State states it "has absolutely nothing to do with the nutritional content or taste." The egg color chart lists other white-egg breeds.

Eggs: how many, and why the numbers differ

All sources agree that Leghorns lay a lot of white eggs on little feed. Georgia Extension calls them "economical eaters," Mississippi State notes that white-egg hens are usually smaller and eat less, and The Livestock Conservancy's breed chart says the Leghorn "produces more eggs with less food than any other breed." The counts, though, range widely, partly because some figures describe commercial strains and others heritage birds.

Two points hold across sources. First, Oregon State says backyard breeds generally lay fewer eggs than the commercial Leghorn, so it is the ceiling, not the norm. Second, lay rates fall each year: The Livestock Conservancy puts the average laying hen's lifespan at 4–6 years because of heavy production. For the year-by-year decline, see how long hens keep laying, or estimate a flock with the egg production calculator, which has a commercial-type White Leghorn setting based on Oregon State's figure.

Industrial and heritage lines

According to The Livestock Conservancy, English-crossed, hybridized Leghorns came back to America from about 1910 and helped drive the shift to commercial poultry. Most Leghorns today are industrial birds, while non-industrial flocks, kept by small breeders, more closely resemble the original Italian imports and keep their foraging ability. Wikipedia adds that White Leghorns were widely used to develop the high-producing hybrids used as layers in many countries. The University of Alberta describes its White Leghorn line as selected for egg production to 273 days of age and for resistance to Marek's disease. When buying, ask whether the birds come from a production or a heritage line; the Conservancy's "Recovering" status applies to non-industrial Leghorns.

Temperament, space and noise

• Active and flighty. Mississippi State and the University of Arkansas list Leghorns as nervous or flighty; Georgia Extension says they are noisy and usually avoid people.
• They fly. Oklahoma State and Purdue note they can fly considerable distances and often roost in trees given the chance.
• Room to move. Georgia Extension says Leghorns adapt to confinement or free range, but The Livestock Conservancy warns they get bored in small spaces and want a large coop. Check minimums with the coop space calculator.
• Flock mix. The Conservancy says they are not aggressive, but should live with similarly active breeds rather than docile ones.
• Neighbors. The Conservancy calls them noisy and not well suited to urban or suburban lots, and not ideal for children or first-time keepers wanting cuddly pets. See how to check local chicken rules before buying.

Heat, cold and combs

Georgia Extension lists the Leghorn as heat tolerant, and Mississippi State notes that birds with large combs do better in hotter regions. The Livestock Conservancy says Leghorns tolerate both heat and cold, while its breed chart rates them best in hot to moderate climates. The weak point is the big single comb: Georgia Extension warns it may get frostbite, and Jacquie Jacob (University of Kentucky) names the Leghorn as a hen vulnerable to frostbite in single-digit temperatures, mostly at night in cold, poorly ventilated coops with damp bedding. The Conservancy suggests rose-comb Leghorns for cold climates. More in winter care and heat stress.

Broodiness

Leghorn hens almost never sit on eggs. Oregon State calls broodiness rare in Leghorns, and The Livestock Conservancy says they are not broody and are not good mothers. That keeps them laying, but the University of Arkansas points out you will need an incubator to raise your own chicks (or a broody hen of another breed; see broody hens).

History

1. Italy. The Livestock Conservancy traces the breed to small landrace chickens of Tuscany, called "Livornese." Oklahoma State calls its ancestry unknown.
2. First exports. Birds reached America around 1828 and again in 1830–31 (The Livestock Conservancy); University of Tennessee Extension also gives 1828 and says they were first called "Italians."
3. Captain Gates. The Conservancy dates his importation of Brown Leghorns to Mystic, Connecticut, to 1852 and calls them direct ancestors of today's non-industrial flocks. Oklahoma State says only "the mid-1800s"; the University of Alberta gives 1853.
4. The name. Wikipedia records the birds first being called "Leghorns" in 1865 in Worcester, Massachusetts.
5. Standard. Wikipedia reports that white Leghorns appeared in the American Poultry Society's Standard of Excellence in 1867. The Livestock Conservancy dates the first four varieties in the APA Standard of Perfection to 1874, with more added in 1883, 1886, 1894, 1929 and 1981.
6. England and back. White Leghorns went to England around 1870 and Browns in 1872; English-improved birds returned from about 1910 (The Livestock Conservancy).

Is it a fit for your flock? A checklist

1. You want the most white eggs per pound of feed. That is the breed's strength in every source above.
2. You can live with noise and flight. Sources agree these birds are noisy and can fly; check local rules before buying.
3. Your winters are mild, or you choose rose combs. Single combs need frostbite precautions in hard cold.
4. You don't need a broody hen. Budget for an incubator if you plan to hatch.
5. Ask which line. Industrial and heritage Leghorns differ in history, laying and availability.
6. Compare breeds. See the breed directory, the Rhode Island Red for a brown-egg, dual-purpose contrast, the Australorp (crossed with White Leghorns to make the AustraWhite), the Ameraucana for blue eggs, and the glossary for terms such as heritage and APA Standard.