The Croad Langshan

The Croad Langshan, gets its name from the Langshan region of China from where it originates & we assume still exists today.

They where imported into Britain in 1872 by Major F.T Croad. The original colour of the Croad was black with a beetle green sheen, this is still the main colour today. The white Croads that we see today have been bred from blacks.

The Croads lay an unusual pinkish plum egg.

Bantam croads have been bred by breeding down the large Croad, many bantams are now of good type, unfortunately though many do not lay the correct pinkish plum egg.

The Croad club was founded in Britain in 1904, the name Croad is a tribute to miss Croad, F.T Croads niece who did so much for the breed. ‘Craod’ also distinguishes the original type of Langshan that was imported in 1872. The Croad is a utility breed, primarily reared for its eggs & meat.

There are other types of Langshan including the German, Australian & the Moderns who are tall in the leg department.

Numbers of the Croad declined in the Second World War. Until 1979 the Croad was part of the Rare Breed Poultry Society. It was in 1979 the Croad club re-formed.

To date the club has just over 80 members, most of these members keep blacks, large & bantams. In the Uk to date there are only four people registered as keeping white Croads, either bantam or large.

Lyn Heigl, secretary of the Croad Langshan Club can be contacted on:

01428 602992 or e-mail her lynheigl@lynheigl.demon.co.uk

The Croad Standards

Origin: Langshan Region of China

Classification: Soft Feather Heavy

Egg colour: Pinkish Plum

The Male.

Type should be a back of medium length, broad & flat. The males back should appear shorter than the females. Breast should be broad deep & full. Wings should be carried high &the tail carried high & fan shaped.

Head & tail should appear level when bird stands alert.

The head should be carried well back, small for the size of the bird. The eye should be large, single comb, evenly serrated with 5 or 6 serrations. The face must be free from feather. Ear lobs well developed & wattles fine but small. Neck should be of medium length with full neck hackle.

Legs long enough to give graceful carriage.  Shanks of medium length with feathers down the outside, neither too much nor too little. Four toes, long & straight, outer toe has feathering.

Feathers neither too loose or too tight, but rather soft.

The Female.

Fairly full cushion, covering hocks. Similar characteristics too the male allowing for natural sexual differences.

The feathering in the male & female, dense black feather with a green beetle sheen, no purple or a blue tinge  a grey under colour, which is darker in the female. White in foot feather is not a defect but characteristic of the breed.

In males & females, beak, light to dark horn. Eyes brown, the darker the better, but not black. Comb, face & wattles a bright red. Shanks should be a bluish black, showing pink in-between. In the male an intense red should show through the skin along the outside at the base of the shank feathers. The bottom of the feet, pinkish white, the deeper the pink the better, black spots on sloes is a serious fault. Toenails white.

The White Croad Langshan.

Characteristics as of the original Croad. Plumage is pure white, the beak light horn. Serious defects are black or coloured feathers or black tips to the feather.

Weights Large Fowl.

Male       4.10kg (9lb) min.

Female   3.20kg (7lb) min

Weights Bantam Fowl.

Male       770-910g  (27-32oz)

Female   650-790g (23-28oz)

Please note the Standards above are a summary of the standard taken from the 5^th edition of the British Poultry Standards,