THE CARE AND MATING OF BLACK LANGSHANS. 



Their Value for Market Proved— A Novel Stock House— White in Plumage Considered Less Dangerous 



Than Purple Barring— Shape Deserves Close Attention. 



By L. A. Kline. 



EAM surprised at times to note the unreasoning prejudice 

 that exists among some people against black fowls. I 

 have seen it very effectively overcome in numerous in- 

 stances, by a taste of a well cooked Black Langshan. Among 

 the so-called general purpose fowls, there are none with 

 finer grained or better flavored meat than the Langshan, 

 and I believe there are none so good. The resemblance to 

 turkey in flavor is unmistakable, and is often noticed and 

 remarked by those who have tasted this breed of fowl for 

 the first time. They dress very plump and nice, with rather 

 more breast meat than the average. A few years ago I got 

 an incubator and experimented a short time with raising 

 broilers. Not having enough eggs of my own to fill the 

 machine, I got some Bared Plymouth Rock eggs from a 

 neighbor. In this way I had an opportunity to observe their 

 comparative growth. The Langshans kept pace with the 

 Rocks in feathering and development. I sold the bunch 

 on the Chicago market, and they brought top price, netting 

 me twenty-four cents per pound. No objection was made 

 on account of color, and I have never heard such an objec- 

 tion urged by a poultry dealer, unless he happened to be a 

 fancier of another breed. They mature earlier than the. 

 other Asiatics. . I find that many people are misinformed on 

 this point, and are. laboring under the mistaken belief that 

 they develop very slowly, when, as a matter of fact, they 

 mature as quickly as the Rocks or Wyandottes. A large 

 part of my flock last year was hatched during the month 

 of May, but a .great many of them were up to weight by 

 December 1st. As a rule, the chicks feather quickly, and, 

 unlike the other Asiatics, are seldom troubled "by a lack 

 of feathers. A chick that is bare for weeks at a time is a 

 rarity, and for that reason I have never bothered myself 

 about the cause of the trouble or its possible prevention and 

 cure. The chicks are strong and hardy and where given free 

 range, will hear all the food they will eat, without develop- 

 ing any trace of leg weakness. I start my chicks either 

 with a good brand of chick food, or with bread crumbs and 

 rolled oats, later on giving them corn bread and whole 

 wheat, and finishing off with oats, corn (preferably new 

 corn) and milk if I have it. I have always regarded leg 

 weakness, as a result of lack of exercise coupled with a 

 forcing ration. I suppose it might develop in the Langshan 

 chicks if too closely confined and fed high, but on a good 

 range it will never bother and a fair range is conducive to 

 good growth and development. 



HOUSING 

 The matter of housing is an important one with any 

 breed of fowls, especially in a northern climate where win- 

 ter eggs are much desired and hard to get. I am more and 

 more of the opinion that a house with too much glass is 

 worse than one with no glass. My first venture in my pres- 

 ent locatiojn was a shed roof house with plenty of glass on 

 the south. Walk into it on a sunny winter day, and it 

 was as comfortably warm as a room in the house. But 

 when the sun left the glass, it cooled quickly, and the sud- 



den change was injurious to the fowls, resulting in a de- 

 crease in the egg yield. And then, in summer, although I 

 took the windows out, it always seemed stiflingly warm. 

 After a few years' experience with this kind of a house, I 

 tore it down and built a two-story octagon house, with seven 

 small windows downstairs and four upstairs. The lower 

 floor is partitioned with poultry netting, and the arrange- 

 ment of the windows gives each pen the benefit of some 

 sunshine during the day, and at the same time the tempera- 

 ture inside is not raised so much above normal as it was in 

 the old house, avoiding sudden extremes of temperature. 

 The result has been an increased egg yield. The upper story 

 is used for exhibition coops, and during the winter for sur- 

 plus cockerels. 



Langshans should have low roosts. Heavy hens are 

 often injured by flying from high roosts. A little experi- 

 ence with egg eaters, has made me an ardent admirer of the 

 darkened nest. I am satisfied that it is the only sure pre- 

 ventive, as well as the best cure for this most discouraging 

 habit. 



MATING. 



In mating Langshans, early in the season, one male to 

 five or six females is enough, but later on, when fowls have 

 free range, I believe ten to twelve females will give better 

 results. As a rule, I mate cocks with pullets and cockerels 

 with hens, believing that more vigorous chicks are secured 

 in this way. Of course, .there may be individual cases 

 where a certain result is to be obtained, where the rule can 

 not be followed. As the general outline of both male and 

 female is the same, and the color the same. I can see no 

 advantage to be gained by a double mating system. If 

 both male and female approximate closely in type to the 

 ideal, the progeny will be as nearly as possible the correct 

 shape. 



COLOR. 



The question of color is another thing, and is no doubt 

 the hardest problem with which the Langshan specialist has 

 to grapple. Experience seems to prove it an evanescent 

 quantity, perhaps all right this year and all wrong the 

 next. It is very evident that we do not thoroughly under- 

 stand the laws which govern it, and I have myself had one 

 or two pet theories upset. 



Some writers upon this subject advocate making white 

 in any section a disqualification. At first blush this might 

 appear to be a reasonable proposition, but a long experience 

 in the breeding of Black Langshans leads me to believe it 

 would be a mistake. I will' tell you why. 



I have an old hen in my yards that is at least eight years 

 old-perhaps nine. I am keeping her in the first place as 

 a sort of curiosity, and also because she has been exceed- 

 mgly useful in her day, having produced many fine chicks 

 and having been a first prize winner at one show and a 

 second at another. She has passed under the hands of such 

 judges as Hewes and Shellabarger and never showed a white 

 feather, nor did I ever pluck a feather from her. Judge 



