Langshan Thread!!!

[rodriguezpoultry]

Went up to check on my birds tonight and found 8 peeping LF Langshan chicks and 1 peeping bantam white chick Stoked!

 

[PetRock]

Went up to check on my birds tonight and found 8 peeping LF Langshan chicks and 1 peeping bantam white chick Stoked!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Thanks PetRock! Just realized I have to go clean out part of the barn since my other pen is still full of 2 week + chicks. Don't want to mix the two and wind up with losing part of either hatch (due to hens fighting and such) I have a feeling the 1/2 Sussex and 1/2 Cochin bantam would NOT end well in a fight against my Langshan hen...the Langshan hen, bless her heart, is already a bumbling idiot when it comes to the chicks anyway, no need to cause her any more problems.

She's tried being broody at least 3 times before. This time, she finally succeeded in hatching some eggs. Proudest bird you've EVER seen.

 

[BGMatt]

After some thought I'm going to share some cockerel photos, but I want to point out these are all culls and none of these birds will be entering my breeding program, just wanted to share and analyze some faults, and would can discuss them if y'all want. I hatched these from eggs (from a breeder I won't disclose publicly, but would not recommend after seeing stock, I got recommended by a friend of a friend) and they're all between 4-5 months old. My thoughts follow each picture.




This splash male has great height, he's at least 2" at the back taller than any of the other cockerels, but very very narrow and has no chest, as you can see here. I do like his head though, the face and eye setting is nice.



This cockerel is probably the best male of the lot. Long back, which is highlighted even worse by legs set so far back on the bird. I like his depth though.



The splash male again, really tried to convince myself but you can see just no front end at ALL on this bird.



I like his lacing?



Splash male from above, he actually has good shoulder width, but really hate how it narrows before the tail. (Everyone say hi to "stumpy" the random rumpless plymouth rock, he's going with his langshan buddies to the livestock auction thursday!)



This is the previously pictured Black cockerel from above. He maintains his width much better. If I was totally desperate I'd probably hang on to this guy. Still has the narrowing to tail though, just not as extreme.



Modern Game or Langshan? *sigh*



Know what? Maybe I just glued some feathers on a Modern's legs to mess with you guys. Serious serious lack of body depth.



I am 99% sure that this is the same black cockerel from the other photos. Still not sure about how his body sits on his legs.

I know we normally share pictures of good birds on here, but I thought that it might be beneficial to show some flawed birds so we all know what NOT to look for.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Thank you BGMAtt. I do think its helpful to see both good and not so good examples. It seems that the Blue Langshans I've seen on the internet have a tendency to be more stilty. There are exceptions of course. The Blue cockerel that I put down after his legs blew out was exceptionaly tall. I was hoping he would bulk up as he grew. I wish I had photographed him to see his chest depth, leg set and width. I didn't have much to go on then in terms of my assessment skills. This weekend I'm going to photo two black cockerels that are 8 months old and upload them. I don't think either is great type but I would like to keep one as a breeder because they bring somewhat better size. I can keep them for observation for about 3 more months but will need to clear out space eventually.

Ropo, how exciting, I can't wait to hatch out some chicks. My pullets have only been laying a month so I'm waiting. In the late winter/spring that old incubator is going to be humming for a couple months.

 

[199787]

Thanks Matt! I would have probably tried to talk myself into the splash as well, but you are right, he just has no chest on him at all. Looks like I'll be going small with breeding next spring. I only have a couple hens without a big old cushion . Now I know not to sell chicks until they are much older so I can see what I have and to keep many more for myself. Live and learn.

 

[PetRock]

Thanks PetRock! Just realized I have to go clean out part of the barn since my other pen is still full of 2 week + chicks. Don't want to mix the two and wind up with losing part of either hatch (due to hens fighting and such) I have a feeling the 1/2 Sussex and 1/2 Cochin bantam would NOT end well in a fight against my Langshan hen...the Langshan hen, bless her heart, is already a bumbling idiot when it comes to the chicks anyway, no need to cause her any more problems.

She's tried being broody at least 3 times before. This time, she finally succeeded in hatching some eggs. Proudest bird you've EVER seen.

I have 2 broody mamas who each have 3 chicks. 1 group is 9 1/2 weeks old and the other is 6 1/2 weeks old. The mamas had their squabbles but my smaller BW Ameraucana rules the group. For the past 2 weeks, they have been together at night in a broody pen and during the day in my tomato/squash garden. They are big enough now that they are doing damage to my fall squash crop so today the garden was closed to them and the main yard gate opened. I have a big OE (FBCM/AM mix) who happened to stray too close to the babies. The BW Am went into attack mode! Thor (my 27 week old giant blue Langshan) charged in to break it up! The OE fled but mama chased Thor away! It was funny to see! It's better than an action movie out there!

 

[PetRock]

After some thought I'm going to share some cockerel photos, but I want to point out these are all culls and none of these birds will be entering my breeding program, just wanted to share and analyze some faults, and would can discuss them if y'all want. I hatched these from eggs (from a breeder I won't disclose publicly, but would not recommend after seeing stock, I got recommended by a friend of a friend) and they're all between 4-5 months old. My thoughts follow each picture.




This splash male has great height, he's at least 2" at the back taller than any of the other cockerels, but very very narrow and has no chest, as you can see here. I do like his head though, the face and eye setting is nice.



This cockerel is probably the best male of the lot. Long back, which is highlighted even worse by legs set so far back on the bird. I like his depth though.



The splash male again, really tried to convince myself but you can see just no front end at ALL on this bird.



I like his lacing?



Splash male from above, he actually has good shoulder width, but really hate how it narrows before the tail. (Everyone say hi to "stumpy" the random rumpless plymouth rock, he's going with his langshan buddies to the livestock auction thursday!)



This is the previously pictured Black cockerel from above. He maintains his width much better. If I was totally desperate I'd probably hang on to this guy. Still has the narrowing to tail though, just not as extreme.



Modern Game or Langshan? *sigh*



Know what? Maybe I just glued some feathers on a Modern's legs to mess with you guys. Serious serious lack of body depth.



I am 99% sure that this is the same black cockerel from the other photos. Still not sure about how his body sits on his legs.

I know we normally share pictures of good birds on here, but I thought that it might be beneficial to show some flawed birds so we all know what NOT to look for.

Thank you for posting these! It helps me to have seen both good and bad examples when I am evaluating my own birds.

 

[PetRock]

Thank you BGMAtt. I do think its helpful to see both good and not so good examples. It seems that the Blue Langshans I've seen on the internet have a tendency to be more stilty. There are exceptions of course. The Blue cockerel that I put down after his legs blew out was exceptionaly tall. I was hoping he would bulk up as he grew. I wish I had photographed him to see his chest depth, leg set and width. I didn't have much to go on then in terms of my assessment skills. This weekend I'm going to photo two black cockerels that are 8 months old and upload them. I don't think either is great type but I would like to keep one as a breeder because they bring somewhat better size. I can keep them for observation for about 3 more months but will need to clear out space eventually.

Ropo, how exciting, I can't wait to hatch out some chicks. My pullets have only been laying a month so I'm waiting. In the late winter/spring that old incubator is going to be humming for a couple months.

That's an interesting observation, Dirt. My big blue boy is definitely stilty. I am hoping that he will bulk up. I don't remember but what happened when yours blew out his legs. I want to be watching mine carefully. At the farm, I have one roo of each color (BBS) and one young black cockerel but we culled several of each color. Just based on what I had, the blues tended to have longer legs, the splash were lacking in chest depth, and the blacks were much bulkier in the body. I'm not totally happy with the splash roo that I kept but I am thinking about breeding him with my biggest black hen. Hopefully, I will end up with some blues that have the best of both parents!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Alot of it is diet. When the legs "blow out" it's not hard to tell. The legs, instead of going backwards, look first like knock-knees, then the hocks invert on themselves and the hocks will move either forwards, outwards or inwards instead of the normal position.

From what I've tried, it does not go away and the first symptoms look similar to "rickets" in humans. Be warned, the photos on google are graphic and make you cringe.