Valuable Experiments with Langshan Crosses.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4419, 12 July 1884, Page 5

Valuable Experiments with Langshan Crosses.

Is (i recent number of tlio Poultry World Mr. H. A. Grant writes :—1 promised lust spring that I would givo you the result of my experiments in crossing tlio Langshan fowl with other varieties. My object was to obtain a breed, the cockorols of which would mature quickly and fatten easily for broilers, and the pullets of which would begin to lay vory early and also provo themselves good winter layers. This latter quality the Langshan possesses to an eminent degree. None of my fowls of othor breedscan compare with them in this respect. I do not believe any hen in her second, third, or fourth year can equal them. Mine have been laying well all winter, while from pure Brown ana White Leghorn and Hamburg yearlings, and from Plymouth Rock und common croHfes two years old, I havo only a few eggs. Some of tho Langshans are throe and Tour years old, and yet in spite of this, my twelvo hone haTo averaged me more eggs than tho best twenty in the place. Tho Langshan, though an earlier maturing bird than any other Asiatic variety, is not as early as tho Loghorn or Plymouth Rock, and my idea was to combine the early laying qualities of the one with tho extra winter laying of the other, To produco this I mated the following yards :— Pen No. I, Langshan cockerel with Brown Leghorn pullets; Pen 2, White Leghoni cockerel with Langshan hens ; Ten 3, Silver Hamburg cockereFwith Langshan pullets ; Pen 4, Langshan cockerel with hens half Plymouth Rock and half common j Pen 5, Crevecoeur cockerel with Langshan hen and pullete. Pen No. I.— Langshan cockerel with Brown Leghorn pttfes.—This cross gives a shortlogged, compact bird larger than the Leghorn but not as large aa Langshan. Tho cockerels, with but few exceptions, were coloured like Brown Leghorns, but with pinkish white, slightly feathered legs. The exceptions in colour were birds of a rich metallic green black, with red hackles, or hackles splashed with red, and were considerably larger than the others. Their legs were Langshan in colour. The cockerels of this cross matured quite as early as pure Leghorns and were a third larger, and in some cases, twico as large. They carried a groat deal of breast meat and made excellent broilers. The pullets were brown in colour, some like coloured Dorkings and some like Brown Leghorns, and both with and withouttherobin breast; legsalwayspinkish white, moderately feathered, comb single and erect. The pullets, like the cockerels, are a third larger than the Leghorns, and are more compact, fuller and rounder. As egg producers they are unsurpassed, and hare out-laid the pure Leghorns of each variety. They had been hard at work from four to six weeks before the pure Leghorns bogan operations, and have kept it up more steadily. Only one has shown any signs of wishing to sit, and she was easily broken up, ana is hard at work laying again. I should say here, that all the advantages of coop location as regards sun and warmth are with the pure Brown Leghorns, and they are much less crowded than the crosses. Pen No. 2.— While Leghorn cockerel with Langshan hem.—The colouring of plumage produced by this cross was singular. There was not a single blue, mottled or domtpique chick. Every one was either pure white or black. The black birds, without exception, were Langshan in shape, and in the pullets' case had large overhanging Leghorn combs. Legs wore Langshan only more scantily feathered. Every white pullet was Leghorn in shape, only more compact and " stocky," but with an erect Langshan comb, and pinkish white, scantily feathered legs. You will see the black birds were Langshan in shape, size and legs, but Leghorn in comb, ■while the white birds were Leghorn in all but comb, which was Langshan. The birds of this cross, especially the black ones, were somewhat larger than the Brown Leghorn cross. Indeed, some of the black pullets were so large as only, to be distinguished from pure Langshans by their overhanging combs and punched webs. As egg producers they were not ac early as the Brown Leghorn cross, but earlier than either of the puro Leghorns. I think they are not guile as constant layors as Pen No. 1, and their egg production is more easily affected by cold weather, but the difference is slight. lAs table birds there is no choice except size. Pen No. 3.— S. Spangled Hamburg cock with Langshan pullets.— Nearly all the birds from this cross were black with single combs and were about the size of pure Black Le-g ' horns; a few pullets, however,.were of a

iilveiygray colour, like Dorkings. These vere usually HOinewhat largor than the Macks. This crpss is so small that nothing i.s gained for broiling purposes by it, and m most of the chicks were hatched later than tho other crosses, they have not had a fair trial of their egg producing qualities, .•joino are laying quite well and promise to sustain the reputation of both parents. Ab a farmer's bird, however, their size is against them, and as their egg productiveness does not surpass, if it equals, tho Leghorn Cx-o.ss, the preference must be given tho latter.

I'i:n No. 4.— A Lani/xhan cockerel with hem half Plymouth Rock and half common. —These hens were, most of them, very liirgo, quite equal to puro bloods in size. 1 failed to raise a single pullet from this cross, so I can only epenk of its table qualities. Of theso I cannot epoak too highly. Tlic chicks mature very early, feather rapidly, fill out quickly in breast and legv, anil arc altogether unsurpassed as broilers. When older, they make a fino, largo bird nearly as largo as Langshans, and with all the compactness and solidity of Plymouth Rocks. As roasters they are only equalled by tho cross of which I ar.i next to report. This combination would, I think, bo invaluable to the caponizer. The plumage was nearly always Plymouth Rock, with yellow or white bills and legs, tho latter pinkish tinged and slightly feathered. As birds for market purposes only, I rogard these as first.

Pun No. 5. — A Creeecmiir cockerel with Lant/ahan hens and pullets —This cross makes also an excellent table bird. The shape is magnificent for a market fowl, especially at six month?, or over. The bodies are very long nnd deep, producing that parallelogram shape so admired in the Dorking. The chickß also mature early, and make fino broilers, though perhaps not equal to No. 4 in this respect. Both cockerels and pullets are black with small crests, medium muifs, black legs, clean or almost featherless, and small coral combs. They grow to a large size, especially the females, which seem to be better proportioned than the males. For eggs this cross has not been a success. From six pullets, thus far, I have not received an egg, though their combs indicate they will foon begin. I have been disappointed in this, as I hnd great expectations of them. One of tho same cross that I gave n friend, a year ago, distinguished herself iimong pure Leghorns, Hamburgs, Polish and crosses of evory kind, aa his best laying pullet. My experiments, however, place this cross last ns egg producers. Tho result then of my winter's trials to this date has been that for early and continuous winter layers tho Langshan Brown Leghorn cross stands first and tho White Leghorn Langshan second, while the latter is somewhat ahead of the former in size; but that for markot birds the Langshan Plymouth Kock cross stands firsts nnd the Crevccrtmr Langshan second, with little to choose between them. If a bird is desired to combine both egg producing and table qualities, which in tho one the farmer is searching for, I should advise one of the Langshnn Leghorn crosses. My own preference is for tho Langshan Brown Leghorn, though some may prefer tho larger White Leghorn Langshan cross. As early laying pullots they certainly have surpassed both of their pure-blooded parents, and have excolled the. Leghorn side of tho cross as continual layers. I have doubts, if when they attain their second and third year, they are able to hold their own with the Langshan, and endure tho moult and succeeding cold weather as well, but time alone can determine this.