best BYC Welsummer breeder for hatching eggs?

I want to buy for egg color- speckled preferred, and friendly personality would be nice as I have small children. I've been doing searches on BYC trying to determine who to watch auctions on but not having a lot of luck. I don't plan on showing, just want pretty eggs and nice birds.

I am also open to buying Marans eggs, but I really love the speckled ones that seem to be a trademark of the Welsummer. One last question- are all welsummers loud? That's my only worry, my neighbors who have been patient with my EE hens eggsong, which can be loud but doesn't last more than 3 minutes, but they have an ongoing fight with some other neighbors who have two dogs that bark for hours at a time so I don't want to add to their problems. I don't think they mind if the eggsong is sporadic, the dog barking thing is non-stop hours on end.

PS if it helps I'm in Southern California.

There are no BEST BYC Welsummer breeders in here but many GOOD Welsummer breeders.

There are several factors you might look at are locations...where your nearest breeder are located at? Are you willing to drive many miles to get to the breeder's place?

Hatching eggs? Many good ones in here!

Started chicks? Many of the breeders can help you with that, or ship chicks, if they do have access to a major city which does their daily flights everyday.

Since I see you living in California, there are several breeders that have Welsummers. Pinkchick is one of them you can look at which she lives in WA.

Here are the names of the Californian breeders and owners of Welsummers:
CALIFORNIA

Shelley Boganitoff, Pleasant Hills, CA

Darlene Hoffmark, Napa, CA

Peggy Lipe, Santa Margarita, CA

Karen Moulton, Citrus Heights, CA

Terry Tanenbaum, Sacremento, CA

Kelly Manos, Northern CA

Randy Baker, Winters, CA


Just let me know which ones and I can send you their emails that are the closest to you.

Not ALL Welsummers are loud. Each one of them have their individual quirks, including their egg songs, ranging from very silent to LOUD. But they never were excessive about it.

Hi EweSheep - thanks for answering! You are completely right I meant good breeder. I think the only one close enough (and she's still 4 hours away) is Peggy Lipe in Santa Margarita, CA. If you could put me in touch with her, that would be great

Can you give their BYC user names so we can track them here.

Thanks,

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I don't know if mine fit the SOP, I got them at an APA poultry show in Caldwell, ID. I have some eggs available to ship right now and live in WA.

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Sent you a PM.

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NOT all of them are BYCers, many of them came out of Yahoo forums. If there is a specific breeder you want to get a hold of, just let me know.

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Can't remember if you were a member of the WCNA...let me know if you are or are not a member.

We do have a few hatchery bred Welsummers for our members and we do list them as hatchery Welsummers when they do know it came from the hatchery. For others that didn't keep track or information was lost, we leave it as a doubt if the Welsummers are hatchery type or SOP. It's difficult and it is up to the buyer's to make careful choices when selecting chicks or eggs from its parents.

I am not a member of the WCNA, I am a member of the APA, ABA, ASBC, and Washington Feather Fanciers clubs, though.

I'm not sure if these fit the SOP, but I like the anyway because they lay both dark and speckled eggs, and they are such reliable layers! I can count on one egg per day per hen. I also like the temperament- not flighty, not mean, yet alert and very curious. Good foragers.

That is all it means to the Wellies, they are productive members of the chickendom!