Ideal Poultry Langshans - Show Me Your Eggs!

[Finnie]

because Croad Langshans seem to be rare, in the US at least.

Ours are of course not Croad,

It is my understanding that all the Langshans in the U.S. are the Croad type. The Modern Langshan and the German Langshan haven’t been imported here, that I’ve heard of.


https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/langshan

 

[HiEverybirdy]

It is my understanding that all the Langshans in the U.S. are the Croad type. The Modern Langshan and the German Langshan haven’t been imported here, that I’ve heard of.


https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/langshan

That's a good link and good point. I guess what I should've stressed are that mine are hatchery--not from a breeder working to uphold the Croad qualities. No telling where Ideal sources their genes, so they very well could have strong Croad roots.

I follow Langshan groups on FB, and as with most breeds, the differences between hatchery and breeder birds are stark. Some of those SOP birds are sooo tall and grand.

Meanwhile, one of ours has light brown eyes and only 1 wattle (she has a huge left wattle, none on the right). Doesn't make me love her any less This is a truly cool breed.

 

[Finnie]

That's a good link and good point. I guess what I should've stressed are that mine are hatchery--not from a breeder working to uphold the Croad qualities. No telling where Ideal sources their genes, so they very well could have strong Croad roots.

I follow Langshan groups on FB, and as with most breeds, the differences between hatchery and breeder birds are stark. Some of those SOP birds are sooo tall and grand.

Meanwhile, one of ours has light brown eyes and only 1 wattle (she has a huge left wattle, none on the right). Doesn't make me love her any less This is a truly cool breed.

Oh yeah, I hear you on the difference between hatchery birds and show breeder ones. My show breeder ones are so much more beautiful.

 

[Newyorkrita]

Interesting journey.

 

[BGMatt]

It is my understanding that all the Langshans in the U.S. are the Croad type. The Modern Langshan and the German Langshan haven’t been imported here, that I’ve heard of.


https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/langshan

This is correct. Egg color for Langshans has always been brown. The "Croad = purple/plum egg" garbage is just people getting confused with bloom (and misinterpretation of an old quote) and as this thread shows, can change day to day, egg to egg. Focusing on egg color in this breed only leads to ruin. The value of the Langshan comes from their productivity and hardiness.

 

[BGMatt]

My first two black Langshans (from a show breeder) would have been 9 years old this spring. They died over the winter. Pretty pleased with that age.

I also had two that died who would have been 7. Those ones descended from chicks I got from MMcM. First time in 9 years that I have no Langshans. I’ve had a lot of different breeds of chickens, and a few I really love. But whenever anyone asks me what my favorite is, I always answer Langshans without any hesitation.

They really do make an impact. I’m down to my last 3 ( a Splash Male and two Black Hens) After some predator losses I shipped the remaining breeders I had to a friend until I can afford to make a large enough covered run (go figure after 28 years ranging during the day and no predator losses finally the biggest red tail I’ve ever seen started picking them off).

That trio is about 9 so doubt I’ll even get eggs, but did last year so who knows and even then if male is fertile! If not this will be the first year in 30 I don’t set any Langshan eggs. Not gonna lie, a little sad about it.

Someday I hope to work with White Langshans again too, every line I’ve found is very prone to ocular Merek’s aka grey eye. Some people vaccinate to avoid it, but I don’t vaccinate. Might have to break down and try some hatchery ones and see if I can work them up to snuff. I think the only hatchery left that has them is McMurray though.

 

[BGMatt]

I ordered both black and white chicks from Murray McMurray to arrive in April.

I'd be very curious to see your whites as they mature. Normally hatchery stock is very subpar, but...Murray McMurray does have 5 APA certified flocks with the White Langshans being one of them. (Others are Buff, Partridge and Silver Pencilled Plymouth Rocks and White Polish if I recall correctly.)

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Thank you!! Although their pox are looking gnarly I’m hoping they’ve turned a corner. Compared to some pictures online it seems mild but hopefully they get back to themselves soon.

I love hearing about your flock! Your pictures are really clear and beautiful and helpful! Feel free to always post pictures of your eggs bc I’ll always be interested! haha I think it’s been worth the wait bc they really are the sweetest. When my kids are on the swing set they go to that corner to hang out and talk to the kids lol it’s so funny. I’m surprised they’ve been our loudest talkers! We tried to get quiet breeds but I think that’s impossible ha. They’ll perch on us or “ask” to be picked up any time we’re with them. They love their people! It’s been a great little flock so far. Thank you for your sweet comments.

Thank you so much. That's such a kind compliment! I'm the same about egg photos and appreciate you taking the time to share those!

That's funny yours hang out in the corner near the kids The Brahmas are our most social butterflies. The Langshans are friendly but more likely to hang back...until the treats come out. They do love food.

The Brahmas ask to be picked up. I love that. The Easter Egger pullets fly onto my shoulder uninvited, ugh. They're 3 months younger than the Brahmas and Langshans and will always be smaller, so I think they're trying to level the field. The Langshans, however, wait until I sit on a chair. Then they might like to nap on my lap if I'll sit a spell. That's their speed.

So, your Langshans are talkative? Where are yours from? I've heard some are loud, but ours are nearly silent unless someone's hogging their favorite nest box or startles them while they're trying to lay. Then they launch into impossibly loud bakaws until the #1 cockerel runs up to shepherd off whoever isn't laying yet.

Speaking of which, Pinkie was finally in a nest box earlier! She's the Langshan I hadn't seen lay yet. The #1 cockerel wasn't around, so I sat at the edge of the coop and waited. (I don't interfere if he's keeping them company while they lay--he takes that so seriously). This was my chance to confirm whether Pinkie's indeed laying now, at 32 weeks.

Of course, as I sat there, our tiny herd of EEs rumbled over and jumped on my lap. Startled, Pinkie launched into those impossibly loud bakaws. #1 cockerel came stomping up to deal with it. Pinkie jumped up to tell him about it, and as they toddled off together, dashing my hopes of confirming her egg laying, bloop! Out popped an egg on the ground.

The cockerel stopped to look at it. When I quickly picked up the egg, he followed Pinkie back across the yard where they got back to foraging together like nothing happened.

But something is different: Pinkie is right next to cockerel #1 every time I look out there. Months ago, that was normal. She was right in the middle of the pecking order and very sociable. But as the last of the 32-weekers to lay, she's practically been in exile lately. Weeks ago, I was sitting with them when a rainstorm started, and all the chickens ran under the covered runs except Pinkie, who huddled under a sapling. When the rain got really hard, I scooped her up and set her in the back of the coop, where she stood by the door and watched the rain.

She never seemed afraid to be with the others; she just didn't fit in for a while. As of this afternoon, she's herself again. I gave them scratch with extra raisins and sunflower seeds in celebration of her first egg, and she was right there next to the cockerel eating treats, proud as can be.

So, that's 6 pullets laying in our flock so far, with the 3 Ideal Black Langshans laying at 24, 26, and 32 weeks.

This event put to rest another mystery, more or less: Pinkie's egg was so little it was very possibly her first, so she probably isn't the phantom roost layer.

Another clue? The phantom roost layer laid a big, perfect roost egg just this morning in the spot Frida Bakawlo has taken to sleeping in, directly to the left of the cockerel. This means a pullet who has been laying for 6 weeks is still laying eggs off the roost. Really!?

Frida's always been a "beat of her own drum" bird, and she's laid dozens of eggs in the nesting box, but hopefully she'll start batting a thousand soon.

Long post, but it was a big day in the world of our flock Here are pictures of Pinkie as an exile in the late summer wildflowers, Pinkie in the nest box, and Pinkie's first confirmed egg. No real bloom on it, but I wouldn't expect it yet. We'll see what she lays in the next few weeks.

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[HiEverybirdy]

Gorgeous! Are Langshans known for pink tinted eggs?! They are gorgeous! I wanted to get Faverolles next year to get the tinted eggs added to my basket but I’m so in love with your pink ones!!!!!

I think Langshans are known for bloom but am not sure! There are stories of Croad Langshans laying dark purple eggs (dark brown with heavy bloom), but that's gotta be rare, particularly because Croad Langshans seem to be rare, in the US at least.

Ours are of course not Croad, and I started this thread because I couldn't find pictures of Ideal Langshan eggs anywhere and had no clue what to expect. The pink eggs were such a wonderful surprise!! As are the Langshans in general. You couldn't ask for sweeter, quieter birds. Looks-wise, they've been slow-growing with a long awkward stage, but their green sheen is gorgeous.

I desperately want Faverolles, btw! Can't quite justify it yet. Our Buff Brahmas lay pink-tan eggs and kind of cover the feather-legged-tan-huggable-fluffball category in our flock for the time being

 

[HiEverybirdy]

Wow! Nice!! Ours are definitely getting darker too! They’re actually starting to turn sort of light purple. One of our langshans can’t figure it out. Today I found her egg in the run! They seem to be livelier and on the mend from the pox so that’s good but now we’re dealing with poo puddles on the roosts. During the day their poo seems normal. May have to deworm. We switched them to a new corn free soy free food so I’m giving it a little bit. It’s not been an easy run for us! Oh and I figured out the black was soil from a pot they’d picked clean ha. Lucky they’re cute.

Yay, egg pic. You can definitely see a purple tint. I'm guessing it's way purpler (if I may coin a word) in person, too. So many pretty egg tones in that photo.

That's great they're feeling better and that the black dust was soil. You had to be tickled to figure that out.

Seems like a good call that either worms or feed could cause poo puddles. When ours had roundworms, one of the younger EEs had blood in her poop, which made me bring a sample to a vet. I'd been thinking about it already because one of the older pullets, BeBe, had roost poo puddles for a couple weeks before that. After the Panacur, her poop went back to normal.

Of course, who knows what else they get into during the day, soil or otherwise BeBe could've been frequenting a wildflower that caused splat patties. BeBe pooped a whole pumpkin seed last time I gave them pumpkin, yikes. Our little EEs had a weird poop morning after they got chunks of organic cucumber the other day...hmm, I'm on a weird poop tangent here.

Continued good luck to you, and thanks for the update!