Leghorn (chicken)
Cock and hen
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| Conservation status | Recovering |
|---|---|
| Other names | Livorno Livornese |
| Use | Layer breed |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
|
| Skin color | Yellow |
| Egg color | White |
| Comb type | Single or rose |
| Classification | |
| APA | Mediterranean |
| EE | Yes |
| PCGB | Soft Feather: Light |
|
|
The Leghorn (/ˈlɛɡhɔːrn/ or UK /lɛˈɡɔːrn/; Italian: Livorno or Livornese) is a breed of chicken originating in Tuscany, in central Italy. Birds were first exported to North America in 1828 from the port city of Livorno, on the western coast of Tuscany. They were initially called "Italians", but by 1865 the breed was known as "Leghorn", the traditional anglicisation of "Livorno". The breed was introduced to Britain from the United States in 1870. White Leghorns are commonly used as layer chickens in many countries of the world. Other Leghorn varieties are less common.
The origins of the Leghorn are not clear; it appears to derive from light breeds originating in rural Tuscany. The name comes from Leghorn, the traditional anglicisation of Livorno, the Tuscan port from which the first birds were exported to North America. The date of the first exports is variously reported as 1828, "about 1830" and 1852. They were initially known as "Italians"; they were first referred to as "Leghorns" in 1865, in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The Leghorn was included in the American Standard of Perfection in 1874, with three colours: black, white and brown (light and dark). Rose comb light and dark brown were added in 1883, and rose comb white in 1886. Single comb buff and silver followed in 1894, and red, black-tailed red, and Columbian in 1929. In 1981 rose comb black, buff, silver, and golden duckwing were added.
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Wikipedia