Leghorn Fowls - Exhibition and Utility - Their Varieties, Breeding and Management

By C. A. House

This book contains a detailed treatise on 'Leghorn Fowls' used for exhibition and utility. This text attempts to provide information of interest and value to every lover of this most popular fowl. The chapters - which deal with each of the different varieties - have been written mainly with the idea of educating the beginner and offering them informative text for both pleasure and profit. The chapters of this book include: 'Introduction', 'The White', 'The Brown', 'The Black', 'The Buff', 'The Blue', 'The Duckwing', 'The Pile', 'The Cuckoo', 'The Exchequer', 'The Other Varieties', 'A Leghorn Glossary', 'Exhibiting', 'The Standards', and 'The Leghorn as a Utility Fowl'. This text has been elected for modern republication due to its educational value, and is proudly republished here complete with a new introduction on poultry farming.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gallaher Press
• Release date: Jan 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781528761888

Book preview

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

The Business Hen of the World was the name given many years ago to the White Leghorn and it has well maintained the reputation during the las quarter of a century.

Possibly if a census could be taken of all the breeds in the world we should find the Leghorn holding the top position, and well it deserves all the praise that has been accorded it. A breed that can top the egg records in such diverse climates as those of America, Africa, Ausralia, Denmark, India, Sweden, Great Britain, and other European countries is undoubtedly a moneymaker, and thus fulfils the objec of all business.

Further, the Leghorn in its many different varieties is a mos popular exhibition bird. No other breed can show so many varieties—White, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Cuckoo, Duckwings (gold and silver), Exchequer, Mottle, Pile, Red, Partridge, Spangled, very handsome they all are, and the more popular colours have a very large number of admirers. More, they are, one and all, mos excellent utility birds.

The breed takes its name from the Mediterranean port of Leghorn in Northern Italy, but although named from Leghorn it may more appropriately be syled the Italian, for it is and has been for ages the mos popular breed in Italy. Hisory does not tell us why the breed was named after Leghorn, but it requires no particular stretch of the imagination to conclude that it was because of its exportation from that port to America many years ago. There are no records of the firs exportations, but we do know that so far back as 1835 a Mr. Ward, of New York, received from Italy some Brown Leghorn fowls.

From this it will be gathered that the Leghorn Fowl has been known outside its country of origin for nearly one hundred years. Therefore by reason of its antiquity, its beauty, and its usefulness the Leghorn fowl is one that is worthy of attention and admiration.

It is said that Mr. Ward found his imported birds to be wonderfully good layers, birds of undoubted merit, and in a short time he distributed sock to his friends, who also found them to be possessed of laying power above the ordinary. One gentleman who received birds from Mr. Ward was Mr. J. C. Thompson, of Staten Island, who has been described as a mos enthusiasic fancier. Mr. Thompson was so impressed with the Leghorns, because of their laying properties, that he imported specimens from Leghorn himself, the birds being secured for him by his son-in-law, who was captain of a vessel trading between Italy and America.

The next that we hear about Brown Leghorns is from Mysic River, Connecicut, in the year 1852. They were then called Red Leghorns, and they seem to have spread considerably in America.

It was not till the year 1870 that the breed was known in England, when some White Leghorns were imported from America, and in Wright’s Book of Poultry the Leghorns are classified as an American breed, and it has been generally thought that the White variety was produced in America by crossing the Brown Leghorn with White Minorcas, because the Whites were then, even as they are to-day, very different in type from the Browns. The late Rev. T. W. Sturges, who was a great lover of the Leghorn, held this opinion, as did the late Lewis Wright, who said that the birds of which he had the earlies recollecion were decidedly Spanish in characer. The late L. C. Verrey was also of the same opinion, because in later years, when some White Leghorns were imported into this country from Italy, they were much smaller than the birds which came from America, and were decidedly superior in leg colour.

To remedy this failing in leg colour it is generally believed that White Malays were crossed with White Leghorns. But this was strenuously denied by the breeders of the time. Be it so or not, the White Leghorns even now, as then, are not so rich in leg colour as the Browns. The difference in type between the Whites and the Browns has continued, and whether it be the result of crossing with White Malays or White Minorcas, the fac remains that now, nearly sixty years later, the Browns and the Whites are very different in shape and carriage.

From the early seventies onward the Leghorns, both Browns and Whites, made great headway in this country, and soon became the mos popular of all breeds, and the popularity has continued, and to-day no fowl is more popular as a show bird and as an egg producer than is the Leghorn.

The Leghorn Club, the oldes of our English specialis clubs, was founded in 1876, the Rev. A. Kitchen, then an undergraduate at Oxford, being the firs secretary. The present secretary is Mr. William Clarke, who has held the position for thirty years.

CHAPTER II

THE WHITE

In dealing with the different varieties I take the White firs, not only because it was the firs of the family to come to this country, but because it is the mos widely known, and the mos popular both amongs exhibitors and utilitarians.

This variety has a specialis club to watch over its interess, and in the early part of 1926 it was re-organised, and one of its firs acions was to revise the old exhibition sandard, and at the same time it compiled a sandard for utility birds, being the firs specialis club to issue sandards for exhibition and utility. This it, no doubt, did because the White Leghorn is now so largely shown in utility classes at shows in all parts of the country.

These sandards have been generally approved and as they are to-day accepted by all breeders and judges I give them here.

THE EXHIBITION WHITE LEGHORN STANDARD OF PERFECTION

(Amended 1926)

COCK

Head and Neck

Beak.—Stout, the point sanding well clear of the front of the comb.

Comb.—Single and fine in texture denoting quality, proportionate in size and by no means over-grown, perfecly sraight and erec with serrations deep cut and even, the several spikes, from five to seven in number, being broad at the base and tapering perfecly to the points. The Comb should extend well beyond the back of the head, following without touching the line of the hackle; free from thumb marks or side sprigs.

Face.—Fine in texture, free from white, wrinkles, or fold. Wattles: Proportionately long, thin and fine in texture. A perfec pair in shape and size and folding back evenly from the front. Lobes: Proportionate in size, of fine texture and oval in shape, the wides part being at the point of attachment at the ear aperture, placed as to be well clear of the cheek of the face and tight fitting, even in size and shape and free from wrinkles or folds. Eye: Bold and full of fire, bright red in colour and suggesing vitality. Neck: Well arched and abundantly furnished with hackle plumage.

Body.—Wedge shaped, wide at the shoulders and narrowing to root of tail.

EXHIBITION WHITE COCKEREL

First and Special at the Crystal Palace

Bred and exhibited by Lord Dewar

A TYPICAL LEGHORN HEAD

One of Mr. I. B, Gow’s winning cockerels

THE IDEAL LEGHORN PULLET

THE IDEAL LEGHORN COCKEREL

Breast.—Round, full and prominent, keel deep, breas bone prominent, long and sraight.

Back.—Long, with an almos imperceptible slope to the tail.

Wings.—Long and full, well furnished with long wide flight feathers, and carried tightly tucked in at the sern.

Tail.—Sickle feathers long and wide and set in flat, each sickle being followed evenly by secondaries of silky texture and proportionate in length, the true tail feathers being set in the root of the tail flat as adverse to shuttle-cock fashion. The angle of the tail should be 45 degrees from the back.

Legs and Feet.—Legs: Of proportionate length and set on at outside of body, the bone of the shank being fine and round, covered with tight-fitting scales of fine texture, free from down or any semblance of feather. (N.B.—Any tendency to angular or flat shins to be srongly deprecated). Feet: Toes four in number, well spread, and perfecly sraight, conveying the impression of a firm and reliable sance.

Carriage and Style.—Indicating vigour, vitality and life in every movement. There should be no suggesion of siltiness, and the body should be carried horizontally, so as to give the necessary full round front and a true impression of Leghorntype.

Side.—Medium. (N.B.—Judges are requesed to give no encouragement to mere size, and any tendency to coarseness in any direcion should be regarded as a departure from true Leghorn character and treated accordingly.)

HEN

Head and Neck.—Beak, Wattles, Face, Eye, Lobes and Neck: As in Cock. Comb: Single and fine in texture denoting quality, proportionate in size and by no means over-grown, serrations deeply cut, the several spikes, from four to six in number, being broad at the base and tapering perfecly to the points, free from side sprigs, and falling gracefully over from the base to either side of the face.

Body.—Wedge shaped, wide at the shoulders and narrowing to some little extent to root of tail as in Cock.

Breast.—Round, full and prominent, keel deep, breas bone prominent, long and sraight as in Cock.

Back.—Long, with an almos imperceptible slope to tail.

Wings.—As in the Cock.

Tail.—Of proportionate length, moderately full, and carried fairly close at an angle of 30 degrees or lower for preference.

Legs and Feet.—As in the Cock.

Carriage and Style.—Description of Cock applies.

Side.—As in the Cock.

COLOUR IN WHITE LEGHORNS

In both Sexes.—Beak and Legs: Bright yellow. Eye: Brilliant red. Comb and Wattles: Healthy rosy red. Face: Bright fresh red, without any trace of white. Lobes: