Langshan Chickens; About The Croad Langshan Chicken Breed

If you are looking for a friendly, docile, and easy-to-care-for chicken breed that lays plenty of eggs, you should check out the Langshan. Originally developed in China over 700 years ago, farmers and poultry enthusiasts have appreciated these elegant birds’ dual-purpose abilities, as they excel in egg production and meat quality.

We will dive into everything you need to know about the Langshan breed, including their physical characteristics, behavior, care requirements, and benefits of owning them.

Croad Langshan Chickens The History

This breed was developed into four distinct types by different countries.

The original breed was first developed in Wolf Hill (Eastern China), known as the Langshan District. Fun fact, Langshan means Wolf Hill.

Breeders created a shorter-legged version of the Shanghai chicken, which was then used to assist in developing the Orpington chicken breed. It also played a part in creating the black variety of the Shanghai chicken.

Breeders in Germany focused on developing long-legged chickens with no feathers on their legs or feet, which led to the creation of a line known as the “Deutchman” or “German Langshan.”

The Australian Langshan breed originated in 1905 from a mix of Chinese birds, Croad and Modern Langshans, and Black Langshans. They were initially popular as utility birds but have since become more leggy in appearance and are primarily bred for show purposes.

In England, a group of breeders focused on breeding Langshans with long legs and no feathering on leg and feet while sacrificing the original large breast and breed characteristics. This breeding resulted in a bird resembling the Modern Game, now called the “Modern Langshan.” The Modern Langshan has tighter feathers and a slimmer breast.

The most popular type of Langshan chickens are the original ones that have relatively long legs, a deep body, and large, full breasts. In England, these chickens were named “Croad Langshans” after Major Croad (who first imported this breed) and his niece, who promoted this breed even after his death.

More On The Langshan

The Langshan chickens are currently on the watch list with the American Livestock Conservancy. These birds are considered “at risk’ with the Rare Breeds Survival Trust of Great Brittain (RBST), which works closely with the Poultry Club of Great Britain.

Read more about the American Livestock Conservancy (ALC) here. The American Livestock Conservancy defines ‘Watch List” as a poultry breed with less than 5000 laying hens in the U.S. and less than 10,000 Langshan chickens worldwide.

Read more about the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) at Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

Read more about the Poultry Club of Great Britain (Poultryclub.org) here.

The Croad Langshan Club is a great resource, and they work diligently. You can read more about the Croad Langshan Club here.

Langshan Chicken Breed Standard and Appearance

Langshan chickens are considered heavy birds, with Hens weighing around 7.5 lbs and Roosters weighing about 9.5 lbs.

The Langshan breed has white skin and bluish-black shanks and toes. There is pinkish color between the scales and white soles. Compared to Cochin or Brahma, they have fewer feathers on their legs and toes.

Although the Langshan are large birds, their bones are relatively small. It has a single comb, very dark brown eyes, and tight feathering, making it a hardy breed.

What do Langshan chicks look like?

Langshan baby chicks mature fast, check out these adorable White Langshan baby chicks in the video below.

Breed Variations of the Langshan

The APA/ American Poultry Association has accepted three variations of the Langshan chicken breed. The American Langshan Club was formed shortly after the initial APA acceptance in 1887.

Black Croad Langshan – 1883 ; most popular

Blue Croad Langshan – 1987

White Croad Langshan- 1893

Breeds Created From The Langshan Chickens

Black Jersey Giants – Jersey Giants are the largest chicken breed in the world.

Black Orpingtons – The original Orpington was created by breeding the Langshan, Barred Rock, and Minorca.

Barnevelders – The “Barnie” lays dark eggs, very winter hardy

Marans – Marans lay deep brown eggs, sometimes looking like chocolate eggs.

Personality Of A Langshan Chicken

The Croad Langshan breed boasts an incredibly gentle and easy-going demeanor making them a perfect fit for families with children or other pets. Their independent and self-sufficient nature allows for a lifestyle where they enjoy foraging and exploring.

These active birds possess certain qualities that may remind you of canine companions. They tend to follow their chicken keepers around, watching their every move.

Are Langshan Roosters Aggressive?

In addition, Langshan roosters are known for their calm, docile, and friendly behavior making them one of the more social rooster breeds. Their peaceful behavior and easy handling make them stand out from the rest.

However, like any rooster, they will protect their ladies and not stand down to a predator, even chasing a predator away at times.

All roosters will be more aggressive during spring mating time. It’s worth teaching children this so they understand to keep boundaries during this time.

Langshan Hens; Egg Production

Langshan hens will not disappoint you. On average, they lay between 150 and 200 eggs annually, 3-4 per week, which is impressive for a bird of their size. The eggs are dark brown and medium to large, with a rich flavor perfect for baking or eating alone.

Four Langshan chickens will yield about a dozen eggs a week.

Additionally, Langshan hens are known to continue laying eggs throughout winter if they have sufficient laying conditions.

Find out more about the top egg-laying hens here.

When do they start laying eggs?

Langshan hens start laying eggs around the six to seven-month time frame. As with any hen, eggs can start out smaller and even have a magical fairy egg look, especially when they’re that purplish color.

While they’re slower to start than some chicken breeds, they are always worth the wait. Once they start, they’re consistent egg layers.

Do Langshan Hens Lay Purple Eggs?

The Langshan Hen lays dark brown eggs that often produce a plum to purple coloration from the bloom (the protective outer layer of the egg), thus their reputation for being a purple egg layer.

Are the Langshan Hens Broody?

Hens are broody but with particular seasons, which is excellent for a planned hatch of chicks. Langshan hens tend to go broody in very early spring (March/April), are excellent setters, and are wonderfully attentive mothers.

Of course, you can always take fertilized eggs and hatch them with another broody hen or even in an incubator.

Meat Birds; dual purpose birds

Croad Langshans are well known for their abundant white meat with their full breasts. This meat quality makes them one of the more desirable dual-purpose birds.

Are Langshan Chickens Chickens Cold Hardy?

The Langshan chicken’s tighter plumage and single comb lend to this being a great cold hardy chicken breed. This tight feathering, combined with being heavy birds, are all excellent qualities for winter hardy flocks.

Read more about cold-hardy chicken breeds here.

Although the lightly feathered legs and feathered feet will help keep them warm, those feathered legs and feathered feet can get wet and make it harder for the chicken to stay warm, so proper coop and run conditions are always recommended to ward off frostbite. Read all you need to know about caring for chickens in harsh winters here.

Are Croad Langshan Chickens Heat Tolerant Birds?

Yes, the Croad Langshan chickens are heat-tolerant birds with proper conditions. They need adequate shade and water to keep from overheating.

The Chicken Coop Needs for Langshan Chicken Breed

Langshan chickens can adapt to various environments if they have enough space to roam and access necessities like food, water, and shelter.

However, they do best in free-range or large open pens, where they can forage and stretch their wings. Langshans are excellent flyers for heavy birds.

They can tolerate cold weather but have a hard time with excessive heat and humidity, so ensure their coop has adequate ventilation and shade to protect them in hot, humid summers.

Your birds lay their eggs in this indoor space, so it should be safe, clean, and comfortable.

The Scoop On The Coop

Indoor Coop Space is best at 6-8 feet per bird. 8ft is the preferred size to allow for future flock growth.

Roosts for the Croad Langshan chickens should be 14″ per bird. Remember, they like to stretch their wings, and being a heavy breed, they tend to get warm and need space to let the air flow between them during the hot humid summers. They’ll naturally rest closer together in winter for body warmth.

Nesting Boxes are where your birds lay their dark brown eggs. You want this to be comfortable and easy to maintain.

A good nesting box size is 14″ square. If you plan to allow your broody hen to sit on her eggs, this gives her room for enough eggs underneath and re-position herself for comfort.

Feeders and Waterers must be elevated or hung to keep the birds from getting their litter inside.

Keep water clean, fresh, and cool at all times. Ice cubes are great for summer water, and heated waterers are a good investment to prevent frozen water in the winter.

The Chicken Run For Your Langshan Chicken

The Langshan chicken is an excellent flyer despite being larger and heavy birds. For this reason, your run should accommodate their size and natural instincts to fly and stretch their wings wide.

Other considerations are to place coop/ run area on a spot with well-drained land. Their feathered feet will appreciate this.

The Chicken Yard and Run should be much larger than many other chicken breeds. We recommend 15 sq ft or more per bird for Langshan chickens. More is always better. You’ll need space for a larger dust bath area, perching areas, and space for foraging.

Fencing height in your run with Langshans should ideally be 8 – 10 feet high, with overhead fencing or a roof to keep other critters out. This height will allow for higher perches where they can fly and use their natural abilities.

Perches can be tall branches that have fallen from old trees, ladders, tree stumps, upturned barrels, etc. You can also make a swing out of rope and a piece of wood.

Creating a playground of varying heights and sizes will give these active birds more variety and appeal to their natural instincts to perch.

Use caution to only choose sturdy branches, keeping in mind this heavy breed may weaken flimsy branches.

Dust baths allow your Croad Langshans to rid themselves of disease-carrying pests like mites and lice. The dust bath is also an excellent way for them to keep those dark black iridescent green feathers shiny and glamorous. A child’s old pool or an old tire from the junkyard will do the trick here. There are many ways to create a dust bath. You can even add herbs that deter insects.

Shelter needs 

Shelter needs to be provided year-round. This overhead shelter will allow your birds to find a cool shady area in the summer and get outdoors even in wet weather. A roof area will also reduce any shoveling you need in the winter.

Free-Range and Foraging; Langshan Chicken

These large birds love nothing more than to stretch their wings and forage. Your yard will thank you for it, too. They’ll scratch around hunting out ticks, grubs, and other pests you may otherwise try to prevent with expensive and harmful chemicals.

These heavy birds, with their height, are a natural deterrent from most overhead flight predators, and their ability to fly allows them to escape many ground predators. However, this is not a free pass to leave your flock unattended. Supervising free-ranging Croad Langshans and any other chicken breeds is best.

They are great companions if you’re working in the yard, following you around; for this reason, you may consider fencing in that precious vegetable garden to deter these puppy-like active birds from wanding in behind you and devouring your veggies.

Are the Langshans Good Urban (City) Chickens?

This breed of chickens are not recommended for urban or city chickens. Although they handle confinement quite well, the chances of having a noisier hen are higher, and not worth taking the chance of raising a hen, then finding out you got a ‘big mouth’ and had to relocate her or your entire flock.

Is The Langshan Chicken Noisy?

Langshans are about middle of the road and not particularly chatty; there are mixed feelings on the noise level, so average noise being the consensus, these chickens are best suited in a setting where they aren’t apt to bother nearby neighbors.

Life Expectancy of the Langshan Breed

The average life expectancy of the Croad Langshan chicken is slightly more than most, 5-8 years (as opposed to 5-7 years). However, they can be expected to lay eggs for up to 6 years at full capacity, then start declining in production in years 7 and 8. Some of these hens have lived for up to 10 years. This is impressive, as most chickens lay eggs for up to 5 years.  Read more about how long chickens lay eggs here.

Is The Langshan Right For Backyard Chicken Keepers?

Are you considering adding some feathered friends to your backyard or small farm? Look no further than the Langshan chicken, a unique breed. They are a beautiful addition to any flock and have exceptional dual-purpose abilities, meaning they are great for egg production and meat consumption.

You might think a breed with such productivity might not have the friendliest personality. Still, the Langshan is known for its docile nature, making them perfect for chicken-keeping beginners or experienced farmers.

And let’s remember the joy and companionship they will provide you with. These hardy birds can withstand cooler temperatures while being heat-tolerant, and their calm and curious nature makes them stand out from other chicken breeds. Take advantage of the opportunity to add the captivating Langshan to your backyard flock or farm.

To top all those qualities off with an easily tamed, mild-mannered rooster and hens that are wonderfully attentive mothers, you’ll have an excellent choice for a sustainable flock with these long-lived birds for your backyard hobby farm or homestead.