Langshan Thread!!!

[BGMatt]

Hi BGMatt-  It looks like you have a great deal of experience with showing and breeding.  I have 9 week old Langshans and out of the 8 chicks I purchased, 6 of them are roosters.  I would like to start downsizing them.  They are all about the same size, and everything else seems to standard,  but some of them do not have perfect combs.  Would you cull them at this point for imperfect or slightly wavy combs?  What else do you consider?

 I would like to get down to just two roosters at some point, I have 2 blues and 4 blacks.  I have separated them from my pullets.

  I have 1 blue pullet and one black pullet.  The black pullet is smaller than the rest.  Will she "catch up" or really never be show quality? Everything else about her is nice and she has a beautiful greenish sheen.  My blue pullet is as large as the roos, so maybe she is just a stand out compared to her?  She is lighter than the Roos, is that normal for a pullet?

Thanks!

I don't even start looking at them seriously until 6 months of age, even with many years of experience with the breed (which coincidentally is an excellent butchering age!), so unless you see serious flaws (disqualifications such as side sprigs, crooked toes, split combs, crooked keels, white earlobes, etc) don't even worry about it. I would not worry about minor comb imperfections like you describe. Just make sure they have LOTS of space to grow, multiple feeding and watering stations, and separate cockerels and pullets as soon as you're able. It will let them grow faster, and with less stress so they can actually reach their genetic potential.

I do keep an eye on faster maturing birds since it's a breeding goal in my line, if I'm dealing with large numbers that year (100+) I will cull the slower ones. Otherwise I just let them grow out. Sometimes the late bloomers turn into really nice birds. I have a two year old cock that will be heading to the breeding pens this year that if I had culled early he would have been food, instead he's the best Black Langshan I've raised in the past 5 years, but took him a full year to show his potential.

The best advice I can give to anyone breeding Langshans is to study your Standard religiously, and be extremely, extremely patient. They're a slow growing, slow maturing fowl and making the wrong choice early can hold back your program.

 

[Angie from WI]

I don't even start looking at them seriously until 6 months of age, even with many years of experience with the breed (which coincidentally is an excellent butchering age!), so unless you see serious flaws (disqualifications such as side sprigs, crooked toes, split combs, crooked keels, white earlobes, etc) don't even worry about it. I would not worry about minor comb imperfections like you describe. Just make sure they have LOTS of space to grow, multiple feeding and watering stations, and separate cockerels and pullets as soon as you're able. It will let them grow faster, and with less stress so they can actually reach their genetic potential.

I do keep an eye on faster maturing birds since it's a breeding goal in my line, if I'm dealing with large numbers that year (100+) I will cull the slower ones. Otherwise I just let them grow out. Sometimes the late bloomers turn into really nice birds. I have a two year old cock that will be heading to the breeding pens this year that if I had culled early he would have been food, instead he's the best Black Langshan I've raised in the past 5 years, but took him a full year to show his potential.

The best advice I can give to anyone breeding Langshans is to study your Standard religiously, and be extremely, extremely patient. They're a slow growing, slow maturing fowl and making the wrong choice early can hold back your program.

Thanks for the advise. I really appreciate it. One thing that I noticed in regards to combs, is that although the standard is very specific I see breeders showing off pictures of their birds and show pictures and I think the combs don't look symmetrical or straight. For example, four points and barely a nub for the fifth. Are the combs something that can be overlooked for more important things such as size and color?

I will let all my birds grow out and check back with you when they are six months. Thanks!


Here are my boys.


He is my favorite blue Roo.

My two pullets.


blue pullet

 

[BGMatt]

Thanks for the advise. I really appreciate it. One thing that I noticed in regards to combs, is that although the standard is very specific I see breeders showing off pictures of their birds and show pictures and I think the combs don't look symmetrical or straight. For example, four points and barely a nub for the fifth. Are the combs something that can be overlooked for more important things such as size and color? I will let all my birds grow out and check back with you when they are six months. Thanks! Here are my boys. He is my favorite blue Roo. My two pullets. blue pullet

Combs are very easy for new poultry folks to focus on because it is as you say very defined. In the grand scheme of things an extra point, or a missing point is a very very minor cut. It is harder to get everything else on the bird right, and it can be more difficult to interpret the standard in those other aspects. Personally when I evaluate my stock the other things on comb I'm paying attention to are: no side sprigs, no split comb, no twists or thumbprints, and that it's not a thin comb because eventually that will turn into lopped combs and thumbprints.

 

[Angie from WI]

Combs are very easy for new poultry folks to focus on because it is as you say very defined. In the grand scheme of things an extra point, or a missing point is a very very minor cut. It is harder to get everything else on the bird right, and it can be more difficult to interpret the standard in those other aspects. Personally when I evaluate my stock the other things on comb I'm paying attention to are: no side sprigs, no split comb, no twists or thumbprints, and that it's not a thin comb because eventually that will turn into lopped combs and thumbprints.

Another question for you. Awhile back I joined the American Langshan Club, got the patch for my granddaughter's lab coat, received their newsletter, etc. But now, there is another club called "The Langshan Club" that is on Facebook and they seem progressive and have shows listed and display winner's from shows. Are they affiliated with each other, a "spin-off" ? Can you/ should you belong to both clubs and would it be beneficial to be members of both clubs?

 

[BGMatt]

Another question for you.  Awhile back I joined the American Langshan Club, got the patch for my granddaughter's lab coat, received their newsletter, etc.  But now, there is another club called "The Langshan Club" that is on Facebook and they seem progressive and have shows listed and display winner's from shows.  Are they affiliated with each other, a "spin-off" ?  Can you/ should you belong to both clubs and would it be beneficial to be members of both clubs?

They are a spinoff club. I hope they do well, don't know much about them really. I'm not the best person to ask about breed clubs, I tend to think they've outlived their purpose, that's all clubs,all breeds mind you. If all you care about is showing, and live east of the Mississippi then maybe they have some benefit?

That said, I think people should be members of and support any club that they feel is doing a good job and beneficial to them and their breed.

 

[horselover1999]

 

[MountainMarans2012]

Anyone raising and selling Bantam Langshan with dark brown eggs. Looking for them as a project, adding Black Marans to create Bantam Marans. I have seen them, but not for sale.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Here's a question for some of the experienced Langshan breeders. I have four sibling cockerels that are about nine months old now. I weighed them today and the three largest are just about exactly eight pounds. Is that a good weight for nine months? Would you expect that they will arrive close to the Standard weight of 9 1/2 pounds at some point? Just wondering. I should add that the three bigger ones did not feel "full" in the hand. They seem to have nice height, probably about 26 inches standing normally. I like these three as unlike other Langshans I've kept, the main tail feathers meet at the top, not allowing the "caved in" look with the sickles. They look fairly broad as well, one particularly so, from shoulder all the way through the tail. Thanks in advance.

 

[PetRock]

Here's a question for some of the experienced Langshan breeders. I have four sibling cockerels that are about nine months old now. I weighed them today and the three largest are just about exactly eight pounds. Is that a good weight for nine months? Would you expect that they will arrive close to the Standard weight of 9 1/2 pounds at some point? Just wondering. I should add that the three bigger ones did not feel "full" in the hand. They seem to have nice height, probably about 26 inches standing normally. I like these three as unlike other Langshans I've kept, the main tail feathers meet at the top, not allowing the "caved in" look with the sickles. They look fairly broad as well, one particularly so, from shoulder all the way through the tail. Thanks in advance.

Hi! It's nice to see that you have Langshan again! I would love to see some pics of them! Hopefully, someone will have an answer for you!

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Hi PetRock,

Yes I'm quite pleased to have some Langshans again. Over the years they stand out as a favorite for me. I picked up seven chicks from a local farm, raised them isolated from my laying flock, and had the PT and AI tests completed in January, so I'm back in business. As a bonus, they're actually fairly good examples of the breed. No idea of the line but obviously not hatchery stock. I'll get some pictures this weekend and post them. I think the males are better than the females. The females started laying at about 7 months and lay the biggest pullet eggs I've ever seen. The first ones were USDA medium. (I weighed them.)
Are you still raising Langshans?