Croad Langshan

Origin:  Britain

Category:  Softfeather Heavy

Egg Colour:  Tinted or Brown

Sitter:  Yes

The Croad Langshan is an ancient chicken breed originating from China. Major F.T. Croad had some sent to him in England by a relative who purchased them in 1871 at the Langshan Crossing near Shanghai. He and his niece, Miss Croad made further imports and established the breed in England.

Croad were imported to Australia in the 1880s both from America and from England. They gained popularity but numbers died out after the war years and they became extremely rare. Conservation efforts by some key breeders assisted in their survival and further stock were imported by Avgen.

Croad Langshans have been contributing stock in the creation of other Australian breeds such as Australorps and Australian Langshans.

The Croad Langshan of today is a large slow growing fowl. It holds its tail high and has a friendly and gentle temperament. Hens lay about 150 eggs a year. Egg colour is variable, but range from tinted to a pinkish colour. The females do make good broodies.

THE COCK

Head - Skull small, and full over the eyes. Beak fairly long and slightly curved. Eyes large. Comb single, upright, of medium size, evenly serrated with five or six spikes (five preferred), free from side sprigs. Face smooth. Earlobes well-developed and pendent. Wattles rather large. Neck of medium length, well covered with hackle feathers.

Body moderately long and deep ; broad back, flat on the shoulders and the saddle rising abruptly to the tail ; deep and well-rounded breast, with long breast-bone and keel slightly rounded. Wings high or low, usually the latter; fan-shaped tail carried rather high, plentiful side hangers, and the sickle feathers some six inches or more beyond the rest.

Legs rather short. Thighs covered with soft feathers. Shanks small-boned, well apart, and feathered down the outer sides (not too heavily nor scantily) to the ends of the outer toes. Toes (four) long, slender, and straight. Carriage graceful and very active. Weight 9 lb (4.1kg).

THE HEN

With the exception of the fluff, which should be rather more abundant, the general characteristics are similar to those of the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences. Weight 7 lb (3.2kg).

COLOUR

BLACK VARIETY

Beak light to dark horn. Eyes brown to very dark hazel, the darker the better. Comb, Face, Wattles and Earlobes brilliant red. Legs and Feet blue-black with pink between the scales, the web and sole pink-white (the more pink the better), and nails white. Plumage brilliant beetle-green, free from purple or blue tinge.

BLUE VARIETY

In both the male and female plumage is a medium blue with dark lacing. Gender influenced feathers on the male such as hackle, saddle and tail to be a darker shade of blue. Undercolour: blue. A small amount of white in foot feathering is permissable. All other points are as for the Black variety.

WHITE VARIETY

Plumage white throughout. Beak, lighter horn. Remaining features: as for the Black variety.

SERIOUS DEFECTS

• Lop comb;

• Yellow at base of beak and around eyes;

• Permanent white in earlobes;

• White (in adults except in the White variety) or wrong coloured feathers,

• White tips to feathers (except in the White variety),

• White in shank or toe feathers (in Black variety)

• A decided blue or purple gloss or barring in the Black;

• Slate or blue legs in young Black birds;

• Five toes;

• Brown or black patches on toe-nails;

• Yellow legs;

• Any deformity.

SOURCES

• The Poultry club standards, containing a complete description of all the recognised varieties of fowls, ducks, geese and turkeys, ed. by William W. Broomhead. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009202629

• "The Farm-poultry" (1910) Publisher: Boston, Mass. : I.S. Johnson and Co.

• Croad Langshan Australia: https://croadlangshan.org/