Leghorn chicken: size, eggs and care guide

The Leghorn is a standard-size breed laying about 280 to 320 white eggs a year, with hens around 4.5 lb and roosters around 6 lb. It converts feed to eggs more efficiently than almost any other breed, so its small body eats less while out-laying birds twice its weight.

How big is a Leghorn?

A mature Leghorn hen weighs about 4.5 lb and a rooster about 6 lb, with a typical standing height of 15 to 17 inches. That puts it in the standard class, which is what drives its feed requirement of roughly 0.25 lb per bird per day before waste, free-ranging or seasonal adjustments.

Leghorn egg production

This is one of the stronger laying breeds you can keep. A Leghorn hen produces around 280 to 320 large white eggs a year, roughly 5.4 to 6.2 a week, and holds that rate consistently rather than in bursts. The annual moult stops laying for a few weeks and the shortest winter days slow it further, but a healthy hen returns to full output once daylight lengthens. To turn that into a monthly total and a dollar value at your local egg price, run it through the egg production calculator.

Temperament and noise

Alert, fast, and genuinely uninterested in being picked up. It is not unfriendly so much as busy. Leghorns are strong fliers and will clear a four-foot fence without effort, so a covered run or clipped wing is often necessary. Noise level is rated talkative, which matters if you keep chickens close to neighbours.

Origin and history

Named for the Italian port of Livorno, anglicised to Leghorn, and exported to America in the 1820s. Commercial breeders spent a century selecting it purely for feed-to-egg efficiency, which is why virtually every white egg in a US supermarket comes from a Leghorn or a Leghorn hybrid.

Cold and heat tolerance

Cold tolerance is poor and heat tolerance excellent. The large single comb is the most frostbite-prone comb of any common backyard breed and needs real attention below freezing.

Does the Leghorn go broody?

Almost never. That means fewer interruptions to laying, though you will need an incubator or a broody hen of another breed if you want to hatch chicks.

Care specifics for this breed

That oversized floppy comb is a real liability below freezing and is the most frostbite-prone comb of any common backyard breed. In a cold climate, prioritise ventilation that removes moisture without creating a draft, and expect some comb tip loss regardless.

Feed cost for a flock of Leghorn

Feed cost sits in the normal range for a standard laying breed: about 0.25 lb per bird per day, so six Leghorn birds come to roughly $21.19 a month at $22 per 50 lb bag. Free-ranging typically trims around 15% off that and winter adds about 10%. The feed cost calculator gives the exact figure for your flock size and local feed price, including bags needed and how long each lasts.

Is the Leghorn right for you?

It suits hot climates, small feed budgets, and anyone whose priority is the highest possible egg count per pound of feed. It is a weaker choice for cold northern winters, low fences, or keepers who want a calm bird that tolerates handling. If you are still deciding, compare it against the other options in our guide to the best egg-laying breeds for beginners, or work out how many birds you need with the flock size calculator.