Chickens and other poultry members come in all sizes, shapes, colors and personalities. Nearly 400 recognized breeds and varieties of poultry exist, including large-fowl and bantam chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowl.
Using our illustration above, the photo below and a few selected hints, can you guess which breed we have depicted here?
The answer to our mystery breed question is below. But first, some hints!
Hints
- This large, stately appearing chicken originated in China.
- Chicks are dark gray to smoky white; when mature, these beautiful birds are pure white with dark brown eyes and slatey blue shanks.
- Hens of this breed lay brown eggs.
- These birds are very nice for showing. After the breeding season, Murray McMurray Hatchery’s flock owner keeps a trio of these in his front yard just to look at each day!
Mystery Breed Answer
The breed depicted above is the White Langshan. The Langshan is the tallest of the nongame breeds. Although it’s the lightest of the Asiatics, it stands the tallest. Like the other Asiatic breeds, Langshans have feathered shanks—though the feathering isn’t as profuse as Cochins or Brahmas.
The Langshan has a distinctive U-shaped profile. The head and tail form the uprights. It has a large, well-spread tail and great depth of body, white skin and a single comb.
The standard weight for an adult rooster is 91⁄2 pounds; for an adult hen, 7 1⁄2 pounds.
To learn more about this beautiful breed, visit hobbyfarms.com/langshan.
This mystery breed was brought to you by Murray McMurray Hatchery, which provides the highest quality poultry and auxiliary products to its customers and has been a trusted, knowledgeable industry resource for more than 100 years. Whether you are an experienced or novice enthusiast, Murray McMurray is sure you will enjoy its wide selection of breeds and supplies to assist you with raising your flock!
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2022 issue of Chickens magazine.
