One of the smallest yet most popular chickens in the world, the Leghorn is an outstanding egg producer. They originally came from Italy, but most of their development occurred in other parts of the world. Leghorn hens are non-broody, meaning that they do not tend to sit on their eggs to hatch them. Leghorns are very highly valued for their egg-laying capabilities. Leghorns have a great tendency towards noisiness, and they are very active, energetic birds. The Leghorn is in general an excellent forager. They often subsist primarily on food found in farm or barnyards and rarely require extra feed. They are very efficient at converting feed to energy and egg laying, producing large numbers of large, white eggs. Unlike many other breeds of chicken, the Leghorn can fly and enjoys roosting in trees if given the opportunity. A small bird, Leghorn cocks rarely weigh over six pounds. The hens are smaller, averaging around 4.5 pounds. The hen's comb flops to the side, a unique characteristic of the breed. These flopping combs can be of either the single or the rose varieties. Leghorns appear in a variety of shades. Most Leghorns are white, but they can also be varying shades of brown and tan, black, red, silver, or of the Columbian, Golden Duckwing or Black-Tailed Red varieties. Originally known as the "Italian," from its country of origin, this breeds name was changed to "Leghorn" when they were shipped from the Ligurian Sea. The world "Ligurian" sounded, to non-native ears, like "Leghorn," so that became the chicken's name. The first importation of Leghorns to America occurred in 1835. They were later shipped to England, after which they became the most commonly utilized breed of chicken in the world. Today, it is uncommon to find another breed used in egg production establishments. Unfortunately, because of the Leghorns small size they are not popular as meat birds. This results in farmers being unable to dispose of older, non-producing chickens to meat-processors. | 
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