Langshan Thread!!!

[PetRock]

You know Pet Rock: It may not be a sign of weakness to help a few chicks out of the shell. I strongly believe that we get more chicks dead in the shell in a machine than under a hen, and that I blame on the incubator, not the little chicks.So many things can go wrong for eggs in an incubator. And they do. I have helped a great number of chicks out uf their shells over the years, especially Langshans. Because they have such god quality egg-shells, if the humidity gets too low in an area of the machine, some normal chicks will not be able to break the shell. I have used many of them in further breeding, The new generation of incubators with effective computerised control of the humidity has improved the hatch-rates for the hobby-hatcher, but funnily enough, they also have blackspots, so you just keep on helping where help is required, you get more chicks that way. And the genes are there, regardless,

Sometimes weird things happen, especially in the incubator. Under my hens this year, I had a bantam Cochin with 20 eggs (10 LF and 10 bantam). I expected at least 1/2 to not make it due to the high temps. What do you know...all 20 hatched. Could I ever get that with an incubator? Heck no. Thanks to my broodies this year, I won't have to hatch any eggs during the fall. Unless I make an effort to get some more black and hopefully some whites to hatch out from my split birds. *fingers crossed*

Chicks that don't hatch in the incubator are usually from my own error. Some that fail to thrive, I'll kick myself later but if they don't get a chance out of the shell, who's to say it wasn't human error instead of poor genetics? I help chicks out...I have no issue with it. If I don't catch them in time to help them, I don't feel bad about it. I just know that they didn't have the stamina that would have been needed to survive anyway.

Thank you to both of you for this encouragement! I am just finishing up with the worst hatch that I have had except for the shipped Langshan eggs that didn't even develop. 30 eggs went into lockdown and only 15 hatched. Several of those were with help from me. 14 were Pita Pinta eggs that I paid quite a bit for and 16 were farm mix eggs. I don't know if the humidity was the problem or what. 11 of the mix eggs and 2 of the PP eggs didn't even pip. 2 PP eggs pipped, started to zip, and then died. It is so discouraging. I need to buy a better hygrometer to check the humidity level. I have 2 broodies right now. One just hatched 1 egg and I slipped 2 of the mix chicks under her. She is a first time mother and doing a fantastic job. My other one is a Coronation Sussex first time mother. She is sitting on 5 farm eggs. I just didn't want to trust the purchased eggs to first timers but now I wish that I had.

 

[Chickengirl1304]

Anyone getting the pink/plum bloom on the croad langs eggs?

 

[BGMatt]

Anyone getting the pink/plum bloom on the croad langs eggs?

It happens rarely. Isn't a true breed trait, but it does happen from time to time.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Thank you to both of you for this encouragement! I am just finishing up with the worst hatch that I have had except for the shipped Langshan eggs that didn't even develop. 30 eggs went into lockdown and only 15 hatched. Several of those were with help from me. 14 were Pita Pinta eggs that I paid quite a bit for and 16 were farm mix eggs. I don't know if the humidity was the problem or what. 11 of the mix eggs and 2 of the PP eggs didn't even pip. 2 PP eggs pipped, started to zip, and then died. It is so discouraging. I need to buy a better hygrometer to check the humidity level. I have 2 broodies right now. One just hatched 1 egg and I slipped 2 of the mix chicks under her. She is a first time mother and doing a fantastic job. My other one is a Coronation Sussex first time mother. She is sitting on 5 farm eggs. I just didn't want to trust the purchased eggs to first timers but now I wish that I had.

I'm curious what type of incubator are you using?

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Thank you to both of you for this encouragement! I am just finishing up with the worst hatch that I have had except for the shipped Langshan eggs that didn't even develop. 30 eggs went into lockdown and only 15 hatched. Several of those were with help from me. 14 were Pita Pinta eggs that I paid quite a bit for and 16 were farm mix eggs. I don't know if the humidity was the problem or what. 11 of the mix eggs and 2 of the PP eggs didn't even pip. 2 PP eggs pipped, started to zip, and then died. It is so discouraging. I need to buy a better hygrometer to check the humidity level. I have 2 broodies right now. One just hatched 1 egg and I slipped 2 of the mix chicks under her. She is a first time mother and doing a fantastic job. My other one is a Coronation Sussex first time mother. She is sitting on 5 farm eggs. I just didn't want to trust the purchased eggs to first timers but now I wish that I had.

I'm curious what type of incubator are you using?

 

[PetRock]

I'm curious what type of incubator are you using?

It's a Hovabator Genesis 1588. It was new this spring and I have had decent hatches up to this one. It holds temp perfectly but the humidity is another story. I put a hygrometer inside the incubator at egg height. The digital incubator reading is always lower than the hygrometer. I calibrated the hygrometer using the ice and salt in a plastic bag method. It was close to being right on. So I'm wondering if I have had the humidity at too high of a level during incubating. I'm going to buy a more expensive hygrometer and compare before setting any more eggs.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

It's a Hovabator Genesis 1588. It was new this spring and I have had decent hatches up to this one. It holds temp perfectly but the humidity is another story. I put a hygrometer inside the incubator at egg height. The digital incubator reading is always lower than the hygrometer. I calibrated the hygrometer using the ice and salt in a plastic bag method. It was close to being right on. So I'm wondering if I have had the humidity at too high of a level during incubating. I'm going to buy a more expensive hygrometer and compare before setting any more eggs.

I had difficulty maintaining high enough humidity with previous generations of the Hovabator. Accurate humidity measurement is always a challenge. I've had the most success with a dial hygrometer with the free end of the (very clean) wick sitting in the reservior of my incubators internal water supply. (And I use distilled water to keep the wick from salting up.) Thats easier done in a cabinate model. I don't know if its accurate but I've learned how to get fairly consistent results with my set up. I know that for the hatch, for example, things seem to go well when it gives me a calculated humidity of around 70-72%. What the real humidity is, is anybody's guess. If you fiddle and keep some notes you'll get to know your own set up. Funny when I bought my old Sportsman off Craigslist, the guy who sold it to me told me to set the temp to 101. Knowing that this is the wrong temp, I set it at 99.5. Within four or five hatches I was running it at 101 and getting my best hatches.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

It's a Hovabator Genesis 1588. It was new this spring and I have had decent hatches up to this one. It holds temp perfectly but the humidity is another story. I put a hygrometer inside the incubator at egg height. The digital incubator reading is always lower than the hygrometer. I calibrated the hygrometer using the ice and salt in a plastic bag method. It was close to being right on. So I'm wondering if I have had the humidity at too high of a level during incubating. I'm going to buy a more expensive hygrometer and compare before setting any more eggs.

I had difficulty maintaining high enough humidity with previous generations of the Hovabator. Accurate humidity measurement is always a challenge. I've had the most success with a dial hygrometer with the free end of the (very clean) wick sitting in the reservior of my incubators internal water supply. (And I use distilled water to keep the wick from salting up.) Thats easier done in a cabinate model. I don't know if its accurate but I've learned how to get fairly consistent results with my set up. I know that for the hatch, for example, things seem to go well when it gives me a calculated humidity of around 70-72%. What the real humidity is, is anybody's guess. If you fiddle and keep some notes you'll get to know your own set up. Funny when I bought my old Sportsman off Craigslist, the guy who sold it to me told me to set the temp to 101. Knowing that this is the wrong temp, I set it at 99.5. Within four or five hatches I was running it at 101 and getting my best hatches.

 

[hecatesmoon]

I am getting some Langshan eggs shipped to me on the 16th, and I'm looking forward to meeting these birds. My love has been the English Orpington, but there really is something about these Langshans....
Certainly, the thought of the purple egg is what initially drew me in and led me to start looking into this breed, but the birds, I have discovered, are quite interesting without that even being a consideration. They are very unique in appearance. I like something that doesn't look just like everything else, and they certainly stand out. Very unique, clearly defined by their appearance.
So, I want to double check just a piece of information.
Did I read correctly that the ONLY type of Langshan in the U.S. is the Croad?

 

[Dirt Farmer]

I am getting some Langshan eggs shipped to me on the 16th, and I'm looking forward to meeting these birds. My love has been the English Orpington, but there really is something about these Langshans....
Certainly, the thought of the purple egg is what initially drew me in and led me to start looking into this breed, but the birds, I have discovered, are quite interesting without that even being a consideration. They are very unique in appearance. I like something that doesn't look just like everything else, and they certainly stand out. Very unique, clearly defined by their appearance.
So, I want to double check just a piece of information.
Did I read correctly that the ONLY type of Langshan in the U.S. is the Croad?

That is basically correct. The type of Langshan we have in the U.S. is called a Croad in the U.K., to honor its importer and founding breeder, and to distinguish it from a couple other varieties, the Modern Langshan and German Langshan, neither of which are available in the U.S. (unless rodriguezpoultry hits the lottery).