Langshan

The Langshan is a heavy, upright bird that came originally from China, one of the older Asiatic breeds and one of several that shaped Western poultry stock towards the end of the nineteenth century. A full-grown bird stands tall on long legs, with a deep body and a carriage that sets it apart from the average farmyard hen.

It is a dual-purpose breed, raised for the table as well as the egg basket. Hens lay brown eggs, often with a plum or violet cast, and there is enough weight on the bird to make it worthwhile for meat too. For all its size, the Langshan does not waddle about like some heavy breeds; it moves with an easy, unhurried step.

The breed suits keepers who would rather have a steady, quiet bird than one bred purely for high egg numbers. It copes well with confinement and shrugs off a spell of cold, damp weather, which suits gardens and smallholdings the length of the country. Its placid nature works well for family flocks and for anyone who likes spending time among their birds.

Who it suits

The Langshan suits keepers who value a calm, manageable bird over high egg output. It takes handling well, holds up fine through the cold and damp that pass for an Irish year, and settles happily in a run. Anyone after a large heritage breed with a level head should get on well with it.

The Langshan takes its name from the Langshan district in eastern China, near the lower reaches of the Yangtze river. Birds of this type were being kept there long before any Western account of them appeared, and locally they were valued as a solid farmyard fowl.

The breed was brought to Britain in the early 1870s. Major F. T. Croad gets the credit for importing the birds, and the original British strain carries her name to this day. From there the breed spread out to other Western countries over the following decades.

Through the closing years of the nineteenth century the Langshan had a hand in shaping other heavy breeds. Its height, leg length and dark plumage left a mark on stock that breeders of the time were developing, including some lines that fed into the Orpington and the Australorp.

Over the years the breed split into recognised varieties. Keepers came to tell apart the original, deeper-bodied type from later strains bred for a taller, more upright stance, though both trace back to the one Chinese stock.

The Langshan cuts a tall, well-built figure, with a deep breast and a back that sweeps up towards a high tail, giving a shallow U-shaped line when the bird is viewed from the side. The legs are long and carry a light feathering down the outer side and across the toes. The skin is white, and the comb is single and stands upright.

Coat and colours

The black variety is by far the most common, and in good light the feathers throw a strong green sheen. White and blue varieties are also recognised. The plumage sits close to the body rather than fluffing out, which keeps those tall lines on show. The light feathering on the legs is a defining feature of the breed and should be present without being heavy.

The Langshan has a quiet, even temperament and a name for being gentle and slow to startle, which makes it straightforward to manage and a pleasant bird to have around children. Handled regularly from a young age, it tames readily.

In a mixed flock the Langshan tends to sit low in the pecking order rather than throw its weight around, since it rarely shows any aggression. That calm streak means it can be bullied by pushier breeds, so it does best kept with other steady birds. Towards people it is friendly and unbothered, and cocks of this breed are generally good-humoured for such a large bird.

Grooming

• Check the lightly feathered legs and feet for balled-up muck, especially through the wetter months
• Keep the nails and long legs free of caked dirt to head off foot problems
• Look over feathers and skin for lice and mites while handling the bird
• Give the flock a dry patch for dust-bathing so they can keep their own plumage in order

Exercise

• Let the birds out to a run or garden every day so that tall, heavy frame stays in condition
• Allow room to forage naturally, which suits the breed's easy level of activity
• Steer clear of cramped confinement, which brings on weight gain and boredom

Environment

The Langshan copes with cold far better than with heat, thanks to its bulk and close feathering, which suits a country where a hard frost is rare but a grey, damp spell is not. Provide shade and fresh water in summer, and keep the coop dry and free of draughts through the winter. Perches should be sturdy and set at a moderate height, since this is a heavy bird that comes down hard when it lands.

The Langshan does well on a balanced commercial feed suited to its age and purpose. Chicks need a starter ration with a higher protein content, growers move on to a grower feed, and laying hens need a layer ration with added calcium for shell quality. Being a heavy breed, the Langshan can pile on excess weight if it is overfed on scraps, so the bulk of the diet should be proper formulated feed.

Keep clean water available at all times. Birds that forage or take whole grain also need insoluble grit to grind their food in the gizzard.

Treats and supplements

Greens, vegetable scraps and small amounts of grain suit the birds in moderation. Offer crushed oyster shell free choice so laying hens can top up their calcium. Grit should always be to hand for any bird eating something other than complete feed.

The Langshan is generally a robust, long-lived bird for its size, with a typical lifespan of 6 to 10 years under good care. Its main health risks tie in with its size and feathered legs rather than any particular genetic weak spot. Keeping half an eye on the flock catches most problems early.

Preventive care

• Keep the coop dry, well ventilated and clean to cut down on parasites and foot infection
• Check legs, feet and feathering on a regular basis
• Provide a dust-bathing area
• Match feed to life stage to avoid excess weight
• Follow a worming and vaccination plan suited to your area

Being a large breed, the Langshan needs more floor and roost space than a light fowl. The coop should be dry, well ventilated without being draughty, and easy to keep clean. Outdoor access matters, but the run surface needs to drain well so the feathered legs and feet stay clear of muck, and that counts for a good deal given how wet Irish ground can get. The breed takes confinement calmly once it has enough room.

Setup checklist

• Dry, draught-free coop sized for a large breed
• Sturdy perches set low to moderate
• Clean, well-drained run surface
• A dust-bathing area
• Enough nest boxes with dry bedding
• Predator-proof fencing and coop closures that actually hold

Langshan eggs follow the standard chicken timetable of around 21 days. The breed leans towards broodiness, so hens will often sit and raise chicks on their own, making calm, attentive mothers. Eggs can equally be set under a broody hen of another breed or placed in an artificial incubator on the usual settings for chicken eggs.

Hatching steps

1. Pick clean, well-formed eggs and store them pointed end down before setting
2. Bring the incubator to a steady temperature before adding the eggs
3. Turn the eggs several times a day up to day 18
4. Stop turning at lockdown (day 18) and raise the humidity
5. Leave the incubator closed while hatching is under way, and let the chicks dry off before moving them to a warm brooder