Leghorn
Gallus gallus domesticus
✨ Fun Fact
Leghorns were imported to the USA in 1828 and transformed global egg farming. Nearly every commercial white egg you eat comes from a Leghorn or Leghorn-cross hen.
The world's premier white-egg layer, originating from the port of Livorno in Tuscany. Leghorns are lean, alert, and relentlessly productive — a single hen regularly lays 280–320 large white eggs per year. Their lightweight frame means almost all feed energy goes into egg production rather than body mass, making them the foundation of the commercial egg industry worldwide. Active and independent, they thrive in free-range systems.
🏷️ Breed
Leghorn
💭 Temperament
Active, alert, independent, flighty, hardy
📏 Size
Medium (1.8-2.7 kg)
⏳ Lifespan
5-8 years
🎨 Colors
White (most common); also brown, black, buff, silver, red, columbian
🌍 Origin
Italy — port of Livorno (Leghorn), developed 1820s
🏠 Habitat
Free-range or large run; dislikes confinement
🍽️ Diet
Layer pellets high in calcium; forages widely if given space
🎯 Purpose
Egg
🥚 Egg Colour
White
👑 Comb Type
Single
🏅 EE Class
Large Fowl