Croad Langshan?

[knightie]

Wish I could afford the shipping for a roo.(last time I looked at shipping birds it was 50 to 100 bucks!)

I'm in East Texax, and would love to get my hands on a purple egg layer!!

 

[Narragansett]

Chickens that lay purple eggs? PT Barnum was right.

 

[Cciprnancy]

I have some Croad Langshans, but I have yet to see what I would call a purple egg. They are beautiful, large birds with feathered feet.

I have eggs to sell if anyone is interested.

 

[Sydney Acres]

I just found this thread and am a bit confused. I inherited 7 Black Croad Langshans, retired show winners/breeders, and they don't lay purple eggs. One of my friends has numerous Black Croad Langshans that she breeds and shows, but do not lay purple eggs. They all lay light brown tinted eggs, and a few do have an almost "mauve" tint to them occasionally, but I wouldn't call them purple. And the SOP (Standard of Perfection) calls for brown/tinted eggs.

But lack of purple eggs doesn't make them any less fabulous. They are wonderful birds that are stately in appearance, very good layers even into old age (mine are 7 years old and still fairly productive), excellent meat birds, friendly, curious, and have very organized behavior when roosters and hens are allowed to free range together (very important for survival on an open farm). I think they're an excellent dual purpose breed, and they make great pets too.

I don't know where mine originated from -- my father-in-law had them, and when he passed away my husband wanted to keep them. No one remembers where he bought them originally. I think my friend bought hers from Meyer Hatchery originally. I know that several of the big hatcheries offer them, as well as Sandhill Preservation Center. I don't personally know anyone that has eggs available, but chicks aren't hard to find so there's likely eggs out there.

 

[Cciprnancy]

Originally from China, imported to England, I've heard that the croad langshan is in danger of disappearing. I too heard they lay plum colored eggs, but I haven't found it to be true. I have read that the ones in England do lay eggs this color. Regardless, they are an amazing bird. My rooster is splash, one hen is black, one is grey. They spend the day free ranging in my woods, coming back to their coop to lay eggs and roost for the night.

Does anyone know the difference between the croad langshan and the langshan?

 

[Sydney Acres]

Originally from China, imported to England, I've heard that the croad langshan is in danger of disappearing. I too heard they lay plum colored eggs, but I haven't found it to be true. I have read that the ones in England do lay eggs this color. Regardless, they are an amazing bird. My rooster is splash, one hen is black, one is grey. They spend the day free ranging in my woods, coming back to their coop to lay eggs and roost for the night.

Does anyone know the difference between the croad langshan and the langshan?

The Croad Langshan is an Asiatic breed that originated in the Langshan area of China, and was imported to England by Major Croad in the 1870's. Hence, the name Croad Langshan. It is a pure breed of poultry (i.e., not a hybrid). The SOP in both England and the U.S. calls for a very dark brown egg, but I have only seen them lay light brown eggs (although mine are quite old, and egg color tends to fade with age). The plum color is not in the egg shell, but in the bloom (the last layer of "sealant" that covers the egg to prevent bacteria from getting inside and killing the embryo). When it covers a dark brown egg, it can appear as a plum-colored tinting, and when it covers a light brown egg it can appear as a mauve tint. But it's just a tint -- not the main color of the egg.

The Langshan is a hybrid breed from Germany, developed in the early 1900's from crossings between Croad Langshans, Minorcas, and Plymouth Rocks. The goal was an improved egg layer without feathered legs, but retaining the tall stance.

 

[BGMatt]

Originally from China, imported to England, I've heard that the croad langshan is in danger of disappearing. I too heard they lay plum colored eggs, but I haven't found it to be true. I have read that the ones in England do lay eggs this color. Regardless, they are an amazing bird. My rooster is splash, one hen is black, one is grey. They spend the day free ranging in my woods, coming back to their coop to lay eggs and roost for the night.

Does anyone know the difference between the croad langshan and the langshan?

In the US there is no difference. Our Langshan is the Croad Langshan. In Europe there are three Langshans. The Croad (original), the Modern (which was mixed with Cochin I think? Would have to recheck the old history) which is almost extinct, and the German Langshan which the post above mentions and is a clean legged fowl

 

[DeannaA]

It took me awhile but I finally found someone that had the plum bloom. Here is a picture from her Facebook page. She said these are from her chickens. I found her mentioned on here. My eggs arrived in excellent condition and they are due to hatch tomorrow. 13 out of 15 made it to lockdown. My eggs were not this bright because it is the end of the 'season'. They almost look orange but the genetics are still there. I'm keeping my fngers, toes and eyes crossed that the hatch goes well.

 

[BGMatt]

It took me awhile but I finally found someone that had the plum bloom. Here is a picture from her Facebook page. She said these are from her chickens. I found her mentioned on here. My eggs arrived in excellent condition and they are due to hatch tomorrow. 13 out of 15 made it to lockdown. My eggs were not this bright because it is the end of the 'season'. They almost look orange but the genetics are still there. I'm keeping my fngers, toes and eyes crossed that the hatch goes well.

That's been through a filter. Eggs are never that "bright" This whole obsession with the supposed "plum" bloom is fallacy. As someone who has raised Langshans for most of their time in poultry, please pay attention to traits in the breed that actually matter and try not to chase some false dream of egg color.

good luck with the hatching, there really isn't another breed that comes close to the enjoyment and overall awesomeness of the Langshan.

 

[DeannaA]

That's been through a filter. Eggs are never that "bright" This whole obsession with the supposed "plum" bloom is fallacy. As someone who has raised Langshans for most of their time in poultry, please pay attention to traits in the breed that actually matter and try not to chase some false dream of egg color.

good luck with the hatching, there really isn't another breed that comes close to the enjoyment and overall awesomeness of the Langshan.

So, are you saying that just because someone breeds for egg color, they can't possibly care about other traits in the breed? And that it is impossible for eggs to be this color just because you haven't seen them? No, they aren't that quite that bright. For some reason after I uploaded the picture, it is showing up brighter. I have seen eggs simular to this color. I have seen pink. I have seen aqua. Rare, yes. They were all from Easter Eggers but it is possible. I am not expecting eggs from the chickens I hatch to be exactly like this. But I like the different colors. Why does it matter if someone likes egg color instead of feathered feet? Or size over auto sexing? Why do you think one trait is more important than another if it is not harming the chicken? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me, most important is the health and happiness of my chickens.