Langshan Thread!!!

[rodriguezpoultry]

zantroo, handling birds takes a very special bird to want to come up and willingly be picked up. My RIRs were more notorious for demanding I pick them up. Clyde has to be captured like any other bird, but instead of screeching like I'm trying to rip his head off, he simply sits in my arms and relaxes.

So, I would start by handling at night. This is when the birds are most relaxed, most tame and least likely to run away. Still you'll need to be stealthy. As for the feather picking, I would apply triple antibiotic ointment to any areas that are red and inflamed. Once that's been done, apply Adams Flea and Tick spray to any areas where the hens are picking. It doesn't seem to have a good taste to them because once I apply it, they stop picking that area. It will take quite awhile for his new feathers to come in. Generally speaking, once the new feathers come in completely, they stop picking. It could also be that your male hasn't quite established he's dominant. Until he asserts it to his hens, they will keep picking.

I'm assuming your birds came from a hatchery? Birds from hatcheries rarely ever exhibit the called for standards in egg-laying. That being said, even some of my females lay a cream egg. I prefer to breed according to conformation standard. Once I achieve the conformation I'm looking for, I will work on the egg color that's called for.


Yesur Ebbob, I did have some Barred Langshan project birds in the works, but the oh-so-lovely possum predation wiped out all of them. I have decided to wait on my barring project until I can make the location a bit more secure.

 

[Yessur Ebob]

Rotten possums anyways. Hope it works out for you.

 

[zantroo]

rodriguezpoultry -- Thanks! I thought that night time sessions would be best, good to know for sure. Should I put on the antibiotic every evening or just a one time shot? I bet it will be soothing to his sore skin so he might begin to like it if it was more than once. I love your description of the bath -- a struggle and then realization of the comfort of the water. Maybe you could upload a few pics to teach us how to bathe a rooster??? On the Adams spray - again a one time shot, weekly, or as needed?

He was asserting his dominance especially when they were all allowed to free range. Right now I have to limit the free range due to a neighbors dog that has gotten 3 of my hens. If I let them out only a few times a week, in late afternoon they don't range that far. The fence around his pen has 6 inch square openings and they just wander in. He lays in wait for them and grabs them when they get too close. He's way old . . hopefully he'll pass on soon. Or I can get my property fenced sometime soon. Or maybe convince them to let me put smaller gauge fencing around his pen. Since he can't provide lots of treats that are not via me he isn't as good a provider and thus not good enough to be dominant. Also I think he's just a gentleman or gentle giant. He had a flock-mate (another pullet in the order that also turned out to be a rooster) colombian wyandotte that didn't seem to care -- a hen would have her back to him and he'd jump and land on her.

Yes, all my birds have come from two different hatcheries - 35 hens/pullets and Sammy. I also have 11 hybrid chicks -- most are Sammy's, some may be fathered by Boy, the CW roo, before we gave him to a neighbor. Have two black Langshan x Favorelle chicks talk about cute!!! One, a roo, has the most beautiful purple sheen instead of green.

Thanks again!!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

As for the neosporin, I'd do it once. Generally speaking, those legs can take a lot of beating.

Now, the Adams, I would use every 3 days for the first week, every 4 days for the second, etc. When the feathers are all the way in is when I stop the spritzing. I don't know why the hens do it, but it seems as though when the feathers come in completely, they stop picking. Just weird. Also seems to happen more among pullets than older birds.

As for the baths, I can no longer give him a bath in the sink. When he sits down, his legs keep him from being comfortable in the bath. So, he has to go into the tub. The hens have no issue in the sink, but the poor guy...I just need a REALLY deep sink in order to do it! Along with a wide one!

 

[SFIcelandics]

Has anyone on here ordered/or have Black Langshans from Sandhill Preservation Center?

Im thinking about placing an order with them, but some of the breeds I wanted are sold out already this year, I was wonderin ghow their quality is...

Thanks in advance!

Nate

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Unfortunately, their quality is like any other hatchery. The legs may be a bit longer, but the back still "breaks" at the tail. For me, that's a deal breaker and something I cull hard against. For some, they don't mind the break in the back/tail, but I like a "flow" in a bird.

 

[SFIcelandics]

Quote:
Do you sell hatching eggs? Price?

Thanks

Nate

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I do sell hatching eggs, but I have decided not to this year. For some reason, my male is covering the hens, but something isn't contacting. So, I can't guarantee fertility. My last batch had zero fertility. I have other males, but they are not the same quality as the male I have now. I am almost certain it is the temperatures outside that are causing issues with his sperm.

I will probably sell eggs next year if I can figure out what is going on with the fertility. I'm also trying to see if the new pullets are going to work out, or if they will deter from what I'm after.

 

[SFIcelandics]

Quote:
Oh, ok. If fertility is not there now, the odds wouldnt be too good for me either. Sad, Id love to get some BL!

Nate

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Sniffle! My babies are getting so big!

They're going into the "big" flock when they go home this weekend. These are by far the sweetest chicks I've raised.