Chicken Breed Focus - Welsummer

[AusHen]

We just got our first chicks & our beautiful Cleo is a Wellsummer - I've been told she's a girl based on pattern, so here's hoping! She's the bravest one of our flock, always the first to get close to us or investigate anything new. (pics are at 2 days old & 5 days old)

With that eyeliner I would agree with a pretty little pullet..
I just hatched a cockerel and you can see his eyeliner is very faint

 

[Alyanna77]

With that eyeliner I would agree with a pretty little pullet..
I just hatched a cockerel and you can see his eyeliner is very faint
View attachment 2225620

We probably can't have any roos, but your little cockerel is so cute, though! <3
This is Cleo at 3 weeks, still with her pretty eyeliner. And she's still the bravest - she likes to sit on the highest perch & keep an eye on everything outside the brooder. I'm thinking she'll be our substitute roo and protect her sisters.

 

[DFamChicks]

Hi! I have an almost 5 week old Welsummer. Does this look like a pullet?

 

[Alyanna77]

Hi! I have an almost 5 week old Welsummer. Does this look like a pullet?

Did (s)he ever have the eye stripes like my girl (right above your post)? And a sharply defined triangle on the top of the head? If not, then I don't think it's a Welsummer pullet. Maybe a different breed? I have an Easter Egger that we think is a girl with similar coloring.

 

[DFamChicks]

Did (s)he ever have the eye stripes like my girl (right above your post)? And a sharply defined triangle on the top of the head? If not, then I don't think it's a Welsummer pullet. Maybe a different breed? I have an Easter Egger that we think is a girl with similar coloring.

Thanks for the response. Here is my welsummer as a baby.

 

[Alyanna77]

To be honest, I'm not an expert, but she looks like my Cleo there with the distinct stripe & I've had multiple people tell me Cleo is 100% a girl, so I'm guessing yours is, too.

 

[Sheila mcLauchlan]

The Welsummer breed originated in the town of Welsum, Holland. In the early 1900’s a farmer’s son in the area began concentrating on improving the local birds and he soon developed an exceptional line. His birds were shown at the World's First Poultry Congress in 1921. In the next few years fanciers wrote a breed standard for the Welsummer and in 1927 a Dutch association of Welsummer breeders was formed. The Welsummer became widely known when their eggs were exported to other European countries for the commercial egg trade. There the dark brown eggs were a huge hit with the public. Welsummer hens are justly famous for their very dark terracotta brown eggs, which are often speckled or spotted.

The hens have a nice disposition and do good in mixed flocks. They are also very good layers, with some hens laying up 250 or more eggs a year. The egg color and production make them a very popular addition to backyard flocks for people looking for a dark brown egg to add to the egg basket.


Barnevelders, Rhode Island Reds, and Partridge Leghorns are amongst the breeds that were originally used to create the lines of Welsummers we have today.

The most common color of Welsummer is by far the Partridge, though Silver and Gold Duckwing also exist. They are single combed, the hens are fairly cold hardy and they will go broody occasionally.

The breed was recognized by the APA in 1991.

Details:

Breed purpose: Duel Purpose
Comb Type: Single, medium sized.
Broodiness: Occasional.
Climate Tolerance: Cold hardy.
Weight: roosters 7 lbs, hens 6 lbs.
Egg Productivity: Good
Egg Size: Large+
Egg Color: Very dark brown



Hen, picture by @soldier


Rooster, picture by @jenifern


Eggs, picture by @saraponikvar

Link to the BYC Breed reviews.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/welsummer

Link to the General breed discussions & FAQ thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/271757/the-welsummer-thread/0_20

Link to the Exhibition, Genetics, & Breeding to the Standard of Perfection thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/818263/csus-welsummer-sop/0_20


Do you own Welsummers? Are you a Welsummer breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

We have a bunch of other awesome breed-focus threads for you to enjoy. You can see all of them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-project.975504/

 

[Jax-stcroix]

Does anyone have pictures to share of their Welsummer birds/eggs sourced from Hoover Hatchery? I just ordered 20 pullets and 5 cockerels for the 11/29 hatch. Curious to see what I'll be getting

 

[Kolbeslayadayinn]

I see most everyone had the Partridge-
Does anyone have any of the other colors?

 

[Perris]

I have silver duckwing welsumer.