Are "pearl white leghorns" hybrids?

[Oregonbeek]

I just ordered pearl white leghorns from Murray McMurray hatchery and while talking with their customer service they mentioned that they don't recommend them for breeding. Are they hybrids or why wouldn't you breed pearl white leghorns?

I have 4 of them already in my current flock and I hadn't expected to like them because they seemed "boring", but they ended up being my favorite chickens. They have a fun temperment and are easily my best layers. I have 4 of them and get 4 giant white eggs every day.

So what kind of offspring would I expect from breeding a male PWLH to a female PWLH? Would they not lay as well as their parents? I'm primarily wanting to breed for egg laying ability.

Thank you!

 

[missnu01]

I didn't realize that you weren't supposed to breed them...it does sound like they are a hybrid of some sort...I just thought they were white leghorns, with the Pearl part added as a selling gimmick type thing.
Hmmm...hopefully someone that knows a little more will chime in for us.

 

[Oregonbeek]

Yea I didn't think so either but I have an email from a customer service rep at MrMurray saying that they don't suggest pearl white leghorns for breeding. That was extremely disappointing to me because they are my favorite chickens and I would have hoped that I could reproduce them without losing any laying ability. Hopefully someone knows more about it than I do

 

[Oregonbeek]

Update: Ok, upon further contact with McMurray it appears as though there was a misunderstanding in our correspondence. The sex links are the only hybrids and the ones that won't breed true.

This is my latest message from them:



The Pearls should breed true and offspring will have the same great laying ability.

 

[donrae]

I'm glad to see that cause I was pretty confused! Leghorns are leghorns and should breed true. Sex links won't breed true as far as the sex linkage, but if the parents are great layers the offspring usually are, also.