Langshan: The Tall Asiatic With the Plum-Bloom Egg
The short version
Egg-color genetics
The Langshan's signature is a brown egg that on the best breeding lines carries a distinctive purplish or plum-colored bloom — a waxy 'bloom' (the cuticle) deposited over the shell just before laying that reads as a faint plum or violet cast over the brown ground color. The brown itself comes from protoporphyrin pigment painted onto the outside of the shell late in shell formation, so it can rub off when wet; the plum bloom sits on top of that and is what breeders select hard to keep. Not every line shows it — hatchery Langshans often lay an ordinary medium brown — so the plum bloom is a trait you build by saving hatching eggs only from your bloomiest hens.
Langshan vs Cochin vs Brahma
All three are Asiatic-class heavies, but the Langshan is the odd one out on type. Where the Cochin is round, low, and heavily foot-feathered and the Brahma is massive and profusely feathered down the legs, the Langshan stands tall and upright with a deep breast and only light feathering on the shanks and outer toes. It is the leanest and most 'active' looking of the three.
The Langshan also brings the dark, plum-bloom egg to the table, a trait the Cochin and Brahma don't share. If you want an Asiatic that looks statuesque rather than fluffy and lays a striking brown egg, the Langshan is the pick.
What color eggs do Langshans lay?
A brown egg, and on the best breeding lines a brown egg overlaid with a purplish or plum-colored bloom that gives it a faintly violet cast. The Livestock Conservancy describes Langshan eggs as large and brown, sometimes very dark brown with a purplish tint. Not every bird shows the plum bloom — many hatchery Langshans simply lay a medium brown — so the plum egg is something breeders build by selecting their bloomiest hens.
Breeding notes
- Breed to the Langshan's unique silhouette: tall, upright carriage with great depth of body and a full, deep breast. This is the one Asiatic that should look lean and towering rather than round and low like a Cochin — select against short-legged, over-fluffed birds.
- Keep the shank and outer-toe feathering light. The Langshan carries only sparse feathering down the shanks and outer toes, far less than a Cochin or Brahma; heavy foot feathering or clean legs are both faults, so cull toward the moderate, lightly feathered middle.
- Select hard for the plum bloom on the egg. Egg color and bloom are heritable, so save hatching eggs only from the hens whose brown eggs show the strongest purplish cast — over generations this pulls the flock toward that prized plum-bloom egg rather than plain brown.
- In the Black variety, chase the beetle-green sheen: the original Croad Langshan black should carry a brilliant green (not purple) luster in good light, and matings that hold that sheen while keeping slate-blue shanks and dark eyes produce the most showable birds.
- Blue does not breed true — as a dilution of black, Blue × Blue throws roughly Blue, Black, and Splash — so plan matings accordingly and use your Blacks to keep type and sheen strong in the Blue pen.
Showing notes
- The Langshan is exhibited in the APA's **Asiatic** class alongside the Cochin and Brahma; enter by variety (for example 'Black Langshan, large fowl'). Bantam versions exist in all three colors.
- Judges look for the breed's defining tall, deep-bodied type and the moderate, lightly feathered shanks — a bird that reads as a scaled-up, upright Asiatic rather than a Cochin. Slate-blue shanks with pinkish skin between the scales and dark eyes are wanted.
- In Black birds condition the plumage for a clean green sheen and guard against purple barring; in White birds keep the feather free of brassiness and yellow; keep foot feathering tidy but present.
- Because the feathered shanks and toes trap mud, wash and dry the feet and legs before showing and check for scaly-leg mites, which feathered-legged breeds are more prone to.
Hatching & incubation
- No breed-specific incubation requirements — treat Langshan eggs like any chicken egg: 99.5–100°F forced-air, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch.
- Langshans are slow to mature (often 22+ weeks to fill out), so hatch early in the season if you want birds ready for fall shows.
- The plum bloom is easy to smudge — handle hatching eggs gently and don't wash them, since scrubbing removes the very bloom that makes the egg distinctive.
Recognized varieties
Frequently asked questions
- What color eggs do Langshans lay?
- Brown eggs — and on good breeding lines a brown egg with a distinctive purplish or plum-colored bloom over it. The plum cast comes from the waxy bloom (cuticle) laid over the shell; not every line shows it, so it's a trait breeders select for.
- Are Langshans good for showing?
- Yes. They're exhibited in the APA's Asiatic class in three varieties (Black, White, Blue), judged on their tall, deep-breasted type and their moderate, lightly feathered shanks — a distinctly upright Asiatic, unlike the round Cochin or the massive Brahma.
- How hard are Langshans to hatch?
- No harder than any chicken — 99.5–100°F, lockdown day 18, 21-day hatch, with no breed-specific incubation quirks. Just handle the eggs gently and don't wash them, since scrubbing removes the prized plum bloom.
- How is a Langshan different from a Cochin or Brahma?
- All three are Asiatic heavies, but the Langshan is tall and upright with a deep breast and only light shank feathering, while the Cochin is round and low and the Brahma is massive — both with far heavier foot feathering. The Langshan also lays the dark plum-bloom egg the others don't.
- Are Langshans broody?
- Moderately. Hens often don't go broody until spring (April or May) and aren't the most determined sitters, but they make faithful, gentle mothers when they do set. Plan on an incubator or another broody hen for early-season hatches.
- Are Langshans a rare breed?
- Yes. The Livestock Conservancy lists the Langshan as threatened, so most quality stock comes from dedicated heritage breeders rather than large hatcheries — which is also why the plum-bloom egg varies so much between lines.
Sources
- Langshan Chicken (breed profile, history & egg color) — The Livestock Conservancy (Reference)
- White Langshan Chicken (type, legs & egg color) — Murray McMurray Hatchery (Hatchery)
- Langshan Chicken – Breed Profile — Backyard Poultry (Countryside) (Reference)
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