THE ASIATICS. 



87 



He had dark slate under-color, very rich brilliant surface, 

 and not a trace of purple anywhere. About three weeks 

 after I had him I discovered two reddish feathers cropping 

 out in the hackle. These feathers had black centers with 

 reddish lacing and in a certain light the defective color was. 

 not noticeable. I used him as a breeder that season, and got 

 five cockerels that showed red in hackle and wing at matur- 

 ity; most of the others possessed extra good rich color; one 

 of them in particular winning first at Missouri State Show 

 that winter, being cut only one-half point in color, by 

 Russell. 



BREEDING FOR SHAPE. 



As to shape in males, I find that after we have them up 

 on the right kind of legs, which should be rather long, espe- 

 cially in thigh, the hardest sections to breed to perfection are 

 the back and tail. To get medium length of back, broad at 

 shoulders, curving gradually upwards from the middle to 

 the root of tail, with abundant saddle feathers, and what is 

 called a fan-shape or well spread tail rising upward from its 

 junction with back so as not to form a break at this point 

 (and not carried perpendicularly, approaching the squirrel 

 tail), is not easy, even though we use a male with an almost 

 perfect back and tail shape. I have always selected the 

 very best shaped male birds in these two sections and yet 

 I get lots of straight backed, narrow, pinched tail cockerels. 

 I am undecided whether the male or the female has the 

 most influence in producing good back and tails on 

 cockerels. 



The comb of the Langshan has proved with me the eas- 

 iest section to get; for when I use a male bird with a good 

 comb, I have few cockerels with bad combs, and the same 

 is true with females. 



STANDARD WEIGHTS. 



I have but little trouble in getting my Langshans up to 

 standard size, especially in hens, cockerels and pullets, and 

 I consider the weights as fixed by the standard about right. 

 I noticed some time ago that Judge Russell recommended 

 the raising of the weights one-half pound on hen, pullet and 

 cockerel. I oppose this, for while we can bring them up to 

 their weights and lots of them over, yet there are many that 

 never come up to weight. It is difficult to bring the cocks 

 up to the standard weight of ten pounds. Of course lots of 

 them come up to it, and some of them go over that weight. 

 I have one now that weighs eleven and one-half pounds, 

 another ten and one-half, and yet I am satisfied that there 

 are more Langshan cocks that weigh nine and nine and one- 

 half pounds than there are cocks of ten pounds weight. At 

 a recent Kansas City show there were ten cocks in competi- 

 tion; most of these weighed less than ten pounds, and some 

 of them were disqualified on weight. Most associations are 

 very lenient on weight, allowing one-fourth to one-half 

 pound on each birds; this allows many under-weight cocks 

 to come into competition. The same number of cocks were 

 on exhibition at the late Chicago show, and some of the 

 winners were not up to standard weight, yet some of the 

 exhibitors claim that their cocks weighed twelve and thir- 

 teen pounds. 



PREPARING FOR THE SHOW. 



• 



Black Langshans are one of the most attractive show 

 fowls, and I experience little trouble in preparing thorn for 

 the show or getting them in good show condition; in fact, 

 about all a good specimen needs is to be kept clean and in 



good health. They require no washing except their legs and 

 toes, which should be cleansed with soap and water, and 

 afterward rubbed with oil. The face, beak and comb should 

 receive similar attention. Cockerels will remain in better 

 show condition if kept in roomy quarters, or given an out- 

 side run. They seldom do well in very close confinement 

 (that is, in small coops) and will not take on flesh. Hens and 

 pullets I prefer to keep in a light roomy house with a plank 

 floor, covered lightly with clean chaff or short cut straw, 

 as it is easier to keep their toe feathering in good condition 

 if they are kept on plank floors. Scratching in hard or long 

 straw always breaks the toe feathers. 



Heavy outer toe feathering is one of the points Lang- 

 shar. breeders are striving for, and I believe with Judge 

 Felch that slight middle toe feathering is no serious objec- 

 tion, as it is only an accompaniment of heavy outside toe 

 feathering. I have never seen a Langshan disqualified on toe 

 featheringthatshowed 

 slight middle toe 

 feathering, but many 

 perfectly clean mid- 

 dle toe birds have I 

 seen that were very 

 shy, or almost free 

 from outer toe feath- 

 ering. A nice 

 straight, clean mid- 

 dle toe is a fancy 

 point and very desir- 

 able; I like to have 

 them, but I never 

 discount an other- 

 wise good bird with 

 few feathers on mid- 

 dle toe. I purchased 

 the first prize hen at 

 the lafe Chicago 

 show, a fine Lang- 

 shan female with a 

 perfectly clean mid- 

 dle toe. She is well 



feathered on Shanks First Prize Black Langshan Pullet at Southeast 



, «„„*. rt p Missouri Show; also First as Hen at St. 



and upper part Of ^^ Owned by John Hettich. 



toe, but almost bare 



at the extremities, or from the last joint downward. 

 This hen I am satisfied would if mated to a cockerel also shy 

 on toe feathering produce lots of bare outside toed young- 

 sters, but mated as I have her, to a cockerel heavily fea ti- 

 ered, with a few feathers in middle toe, I look for a wc'.l 

 feathered lot of Langshans from her. 



Langshans have grown more popular each year since I 

 have been breeding them. Farmers are taking them up as 

 an all purpose fowl. They are learning their good quali'y 

 as a table fowl. The prejudice that has existed against them 

 on account of color is passing away. Their extra good lay- 

 ing qualities are now well established and their attractive- 

 ness as show fowls proven by the extra big' classes at the 

 breeding shows last winter. The big demand for them, the 

 sales of both stock and eggs, by all the Langshan breeders 

 of my acquaintance, the big prices paid for good birds as 

 breeders, and the high prices received by the leading breed- 

 ers of this variety for eggs for hatching are proof enough 

 that the meritorious Langshan is one of the popular vari- 

 eties of the day, and still coming. JOHN HETTICH. 



