German Langshan Chicken Breed
- Country of origin: Germany
- Primary uses: For exhibition and eggs production
- Lifespan: 8 years
- Eggs:
- Production: 150 to 200 eggs
- Size: Large
- Color: Cream
- Weight:
- Cock: 3 to 4.5 kg
- Hen: 2.5 to 3.5 kg
- Bantam:
- Cock: 1 kg
- Hen: 900g
- Colors: Black, blue and white are most common
- Useful to know: easily tamed and friendly. They are popular in Germany with different colors but rare in the UK.
- Photo:
Many professional chicken breeds pay a lot of attention to German Langshan chicken. The attractive appearance together with good-quality outputs makes these chickens worthier in their view.
However, if you are new to chicken and still confused with many different breeds, this article would be useful for you to get a deep understanding of German Langshan. So you can make your final decision.
You may also like: Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Chickens
Background and history
German Langshan is also called Deutsches Langshan. The Croad Langshans from Major and Miss Croad was the first Langshan to come into Germany in 1879.
These Langshans are believed to have been crossed with the Plymouth Rock amongst other breeds in order to have German Langshan chickens eventually. A German Langshan club was established in Germany by 1985.
There are now many color varieties of German Langshan in Germany including Buff, Brown-Red, Birchen, Silver-Blue, Lemon-Blue, Red, and Barred. However, the Barred color which has been created since 2004 only exists in the bantam size.
German Langshan bantams started to appear in Germany by 1912. Over the years, they have as many color varieties as the original German Langshan.
Appearance
German Langshan chicken is a quite large and heavy breed. Compared to German Langshan females, their male chickens have a well-spread tail along with about sixteen or seventeen inches sickles.
Besides, they own a contoured back and a medium-sized comb. Their plumage is also stunning and smooth. Their long slate-blue legs are very straight to balance well with their body above.
All of those features along with their large body make these German Langshan chickens popular for exhibition. Until now, there are 3 color varieties still common including blue, black, and white but the other two colors are rare.
Behavior
They are known as one of the calm and friendly breeds to keep as pets. These German chickens are also very active and intelligent. So it does not take much time for you to keep them under your control.
Compared to other types, their roosters do not tend to be aggressive but docile and easy to handle most of the time. They also have the ability to get along well with their owners and other chickens in the flock. It is safe and funny to keep German Langshan chickens around your children as well.
Additionally, they are excellent free-rangers. It is better to give them more chances to stay in an open air space. And they want to roam and forage their food around rather than eating in a container.
Broodiness
Like many other breeds, German Langshan hens are willing to go broody frequently. They would like to sit on their eggs and wait for their hatching instead of leaving them alone.
Besides, these chickens show their good mothering skills. They are able to take care of their eggs and chicks in order to assure a high rate of survival.
The German Langshan productivity
Is the German Langshan chicken good for eggs?
These chickens are considered to be good layers. During one year, German Langshan hens can lay from 150 to 300 large cream eggs. This number is quite impressive relative to other breeds.
Most German Langshans can start laying eggs when they reach 20 weeks old. And they will get broody regularly so that they can make sure that your eggs can receive the best care until their hatching.
All of these features make them more attractive to many chicken raisers for egg production.
Is the German Langshan chicken good for meat?
In addition to good egg output, German Langshan chickens can offer you good-quality meat. With their body size, you are able to get a moderate amount of meat from these chickens.
According to many breeders, their meat tastes pretty delicious. And it is not a bad idea to use their meat for many different recipes. However, the ability to produce meat is not as good as that of eggs for the German Langshan.
Common Issues of the German Langshan chicken
Every German Langshan chicken has a good health condition and is less likely to suffer from many severe diseases. However, you still have to keep an eye on your chickens to know whether or not they get sick.
There are some common symptoms for a sick chicken as belows:
- Declined egg production
- Consume less food
- Pale comb and wattles
- Ruffle feathers
- Droppings with blood or mucus
- Inactive or hiding
- Unusual posture
Besides, these symptoms might vary among different diseases your chickens have.
Environment requirements
German Langshans are known as one of the hardiest chickens. They can thrive in any weather conditions, even quite different from their native land.
They have a good ability to cope with the extremes of temperature or humidity. They can adapt well to both the heat and cold or any sudden climate change.
Besides, there is no soil type which might have any negative impact on their survival. Therefore, they do not often require many strict living conditions at all.
Benefits and drawbacks of raising the German Langshan chicken
Benefits
- Hardy chicken breed: With their hardy nature, it is possible for you to raise German Langshan chickens in various areas. They are adaptable to every soil type as well as climate conditions.
- Good egg production: The high quality of eggs is the most outstanding feature of those chickens. They can not only produce a great number but also large and beautiful eggs. Besides, German Langshan hens are good at raising their chicks as well. So you can benefit a lot from their motherly instinct.
- Stunning appearance: These Germany-based chickens are able to be used for decoration due to their unique beauty. Male and female chickens have some small differences but both of them are very attractive compared to other breeds.
- Easy to manage: They have many good personalities such as docile, easily tamed and gentle. It is not too difficult for them to make friends with other chickens or their owners. You can also keep them as pets for children.
Challenges or drawbacks
- Require large living space: These chickens love being outside rather than their coop. They need a large space to explore, roam and forage throughout the day. So if you have a small-size backyard, it is quite not suitable for this breed.
- Need more care under intensive weather: In spite of their hardiness, they are still able to get sick when the temperatures become intense. Therefore, you need to keep them inside in the cold and make room for shady spots to avoid the extreme heat.
How to raise the German Langshan chicken?
Dietary feed:
Normally, a German Langshan chick consumes almost ¼ pound of feed per day. You should offer these newborn chicks a daily feed with a high level of protein for their good growth.
Once they are around 6 weeks old, it is possible to feed them with chicken pellets until they get older. Chicken pellets can give them enough protein and other nutrients good for health and egg production.
In addition, you are still able to add many other safe foods to diversify their daily meal.
Chicken coop:
A coop with 11 square feet per chicken is ideal for these chickens to coexist peacefully and comfortably. Additionally, you should prepare some laying boxes and fill them with wood chippings.
In addition, due to their heavyweight, they need to have lower perches as well bedding to cushion their jump safely. It is necessary for you to clean their coop routinely to keep them free of any disease.
Surrounding area:
For great free-rangers like German Langshan chickens, you have to have a spacious space with some shady spots for their roaming and foraging throughout the day. You need at least 250 square feet of space for an individual in your flock.
Moreover, these chickens require a fence to protect them from many predators. This fence also must be high enough so that the chickens can not fly over easily.
Drinking:
During hot summer months, you had better prepare a container full of cool water in a shady place. So, this can help them avoid any heatstroke. These water containers should be tough and not be removed to other spots.
Good training at the beginning:
Even though the German Langshan has good personalities, it is still useful to train them carefully when they are chicks. This would help you to manage your chickens easily as well as make a closer relationship among them.
Further reading: 21 Best Chicken Keeping eBooks
Some questions related to the German Langshan Breed
How do you tame your German Langshan chicken?
The most effective way is to pick up your chickens when they are still chicks. Then, it is easier for them to get used to any human contact in the long term.
In case you have an older chicken, you can make use of some treats to train your chickens. Maybe you try to feed them out of your hands instead of a feed bowl. In addition, you ought to ask whether or not the sellers have them tamed in advance.
How many chickens should you buy?
To create a good condition for their growth, it is highly recommended to purchase at least 2 chickens simultaneously. So your chickens might have more communication rather than being alone. This simple action would help them improve their mental health.
Which food can’t you feed your chickens?
Because of their own features, it has lots of food you can’t feed them as follows:
- Chocolate (theobromine and caffeine)
- Dried or raw beans (phytohemagglutinin)
- Spoiled and moldy food
- Sugary food
- Avocado (especially skin and pit)
- Butter
- Citrus
- Fried food
Final thoughts
So, is the German Langshan chicken right for you? In case you are searching for a chicken breed with many good characteristics for ornamental purposes, German Langshan chicken should be taken into consideration.
These chickens are impressively beautiful which are not similar to other breeds. They also come in many color varieties as well as for bantam form. In addition, the German Langshans are known as good egg-layers and great mothers. These hens can lay up to 200 eggs per annum and give all their chicks good care.
Moreover, they seem to be excellent pets for your home when they are friendly, active, and easily tamed. The high adaptability to several living conditions is an outstanding benefit as well.
However, you still have to cope with some issues to raise them. These chickens are suitable for a large space instead of any small farm. Therefore, they do all their activities comfortably. And more care should be needed during the harsh weather.
Hopefully, this article can sum up some necessary and key information which can be useful and contributes to your right decision.
Photos:
Books:
- German Langshan Cockerel, Dreamflight Publications, Independently Published, 2018
- The Illustrated Guide to Chickens: How to Choose Them, How to Keep Them, Celia Lewis, 2011
- Keeping Chickens: Practical Advice for Beginners, Beate Peitz, Leopold Peitz, David Adams, 2016
Links to useful resources:
- German Langshan Chicken, Domestic Forest
- German Langshan chicken breed overview, Poultry pages
- German Langshan Chickens, Poultry Keeper