Langshan Thread!!!

[PetRock]

In humans, yes. This is what it looks like. In birds, I believe the legs actually get "bendable" as the bones aren't formed correctly. The baby up above has Rickets, but I'm only discussing about how the leg looks when my birds had their leg blow-outs, not the actual condition of Rickets, which CAN happen in poultry. It's usually due to a deficiency of Vitamin D.

The main focus is the knee area on the human and the hock area on the bird. See how the knees (hock) kind of "cut in" and almost touch and the calves (or shank on a chicken) look like they sway inwards? It can be a variation of this look, but the birds wind up not being able to walk.

For mine, it was a case of too much protein, not enough calcium. I've lowered the protein to a MAX of 18% after 5 weeks. I do this by mixing in layer crumbles with the chick starter until about 4 or 5 months, then switch to mainly layer pellets with chick starter mixed in with oats and catfish food. Seems to be working so far. But it's a lesson that I hope nobody else learns the hard way.

That's interesting to hear. I read in several places that the higher calcium in the layer pellets is not good for the cockerels/roos so I've been worried that my cockerels/roos have been eating too much calcium. I have been feeding mine mostly starter until they are around 14-16 weeks or they are integrated into my backyard flock or they go to the ranch where I have less control over their feed. (I purchase starter and layer pellets for them but I'm never sure which kind of food they end up getting.) My town birds do manage to access the starter feed at times and they think that it's the greatest thing on earth! I checked with King Feed to see if they have a GMO free flock raiser feed. According to their website, the broiler feed and the starter feed are identical in composition. Perhaps the broiler feed has larger crumbles?

 

[barkersbirds]

Any thoughts on when I can expect my black langshan and white langshan pullets to start laying? They are 27 weeks old today and still nothing...

 

[PetRock]

Any thoughts on when I can expect my black langshan and white langshan pullets to start laying? They are 27 weeks old today and still nothing...

Mine don't start laying until 30+ weeks.

 

[PetRock]

Check out this ad on craigslist: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/grd/4166315342.html

What do you think the mix part is? I have one POL black mix pullet from the farm who has a Langshan daddy and a black barnyard mix mama. My pullet is completely black including her comb. She looks like the pullet in the 4th pic. I guess there is a market for black skinned chickens but I'm not planning on trying to cash in on it.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Check out this ad on craigslist: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/grd/4166315342.html

What do you think the mix part is? I have one POL black mix pullet from the farm who has a Langshan daddy and a black barnyard mix mama. My pullet is completely black including her comb. She looks like the pullet in the 4th pic. I guess there is a market for black skinned chickens but I'm not planning on trying to cash in on it.

I've had Java chickens that were black combed or "gypsy". The original SOP description allowed it. Could be the Cemani. I don't think the Cemani has been in the US for 10 years. May have started with a Sumatra but with that comb I doubt it. I kind of wish I had pursued a backyard project with blacked out Javas. My Java flock was prone to illness and layed some really ugly eggs. I don't have any now.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Any thoughts on when I can expect my black langshan and white langshan pullets to start laying? They are 27 weeks old today and still nothing...

I actually kept records this year. (A sure sign I no longer have a memory.) My hatch from 2/22 to 3/1/13 laid their first egg on 9/29/13. That's 30 weeks and 2 days from the 2/22/13 date.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Check out this ad on craigslist: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/grd/4166315342.html

What do you think the mix part is? I have one POL black mix pullet from the farm who has a Langshan daddy and a black barnyard mix mama. My pullet is completely black including her comb. She looks like the pullet in the 4th pic. I guess there is a market for black skinned chickens but I'm not planning on trying to cash in on it.

Well, considering they said that Langshans have yellow skin and they reference a Silkie in their ad, I'm gonna go with a Silkie, Serama and poor quality Langshans/poor Cochins.

 

[PetRock]

A sad for me thing happened this morning! As I was getting ready to let my chickens out of the coop, I heard Thor (my 27 week old blue Langshan cockerel) crow for the first time! He has a very deep voice! I really don't want to take him to the farm so I'm hoping that he keeps that low, quiet voice and doesn't use it very often!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

LOL! Mine usually keep that deep crow! I'm in shock that he's already got a deep crow instead of the *eeeeeek eeeeeeeekkkkkkkkk* noise!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Well, bad news on the egg front. Only gonna have those 8 LF from the looks of it. Apparently when everyone started sniffling and coughing from the change in temp overnight and me medicating as a preventative since I did lose that male...anything that WOULD have grown in them died. So...now I have a male that is molting and obviously NOT breeding and a whole bunch of hens putting out eggs like never before, along with 10 broody hens...Wonder if I should be bad and go "buy" some random eggs somewhere to have a few breeds to play with.

Nah...