The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[snowbird]

Could he be molting? (or starting to molt) My fertility is great and my rooster is 2 1/2 as well.

Yes, I agree 100%, the heat does not help either.

 

[chicks4fun]

As much as I'd like to, I'm not ready to be critiqued right yet. People can be pretty harsh on here and I still have a ways to go to get to where I'd like to see my Wellies. But I'll have some surprises to show y'all on this thread in about two years

Two years---

I guess I will have to wait to see your birds

.

It is hard to hear critiques but I put mine out to learn from it. And that I did, but it was a disappointment to learn my guy has faults. He is a nice bird as a pet and I'd rather have that than a perfect bird who is mean (I don't show birds). That being said I still want to learn more about the right qualities that make a good Welsummer.

 

[chicks4fun]

thanks

 

[faykokoWV]

Yes, I agree 100%, the heat does not help either.

the heat through June and July was really hard on the birds, I lost two hens during that time. I might give them some calf manna and see if that bounces them back a little. I need a few more chicks hatched before October!

 

[skylinepoultry]

I have an interesting question. I heard from someone a while back that you can feed your chickens raw hamburger meat to give them a Mega boost of protein. I'm really curious if this is true and safe?

 

[Tailfeathers]

Look at the second sentence and you will see that I said that if you breed the welsummer male with the white Coverts you will never breed the white out of your Welsummer males. The fluff you keep talking about is actually the Tail Coverts , it not just fluff, I am breeding to the SOP and believe everything I have stated here to be true with my 60 years of poultry breeding.

I have done a lot of single matings to come to what I believe is correct. I would suggest you keep on breeding whatever way you like.

I understand what fluff is and I understand you said that the white Coverts can "never" be bred out. But what I didn't get answered was, " And, if this particular genetic trait can "never" be bred out, exactly why is that?" Seems to me that is an honest question.

I also breed to the SOP and I don't have anywhere's close to 60 years of poultry breeding. However, my comments and questions weren't meant in anyway to impugn your experience but rather to simply ask questions to learn about something I may not be aware of and to make a few comments to give a few other considerations to take into account.

Your last sentence is really uncalled for. That would go without saying - and should have.

I imagine everyone on here appreciates you sharing your 60 years of experience with us but when anyone - not just me but anyone - offers some other helpful suggestions or opposing points of view, there's really no need to get your ego all out of whack and start making trite comments.

God Bless,

 

[janchilds]

I have an interesting question. I heard from someone a while back that you can feed your chickens raw hamburger meat to give them a Mega boost of protein. I'm really curious if this is true and safe?

A lot of old timers around here tell stories of feeding their birds meat scraps especially in the winter for added protein. I don't know the details of how much is too much though.

Ours love left over speghetti meat sauce with noodles. LOL!

Would love to hear other peoples thoughts experiences.

Janet

 

[snowbird]

A lot of old timers around here tell stories of feeding their birds meat scraps especially in the winter for added protein. I don't know the details of how much is too much though.
Ours love left over speghetti meat sauce with noodles. LOL!
Would love to hear other peoples thoughts experiences.
Janet

Janet, I always have my feed made up at the grain elevator and add 200# of meat scraps to a ton of feed. I feed all poultry this same mix. I use about a 22 % mix for all poultry. I have done it this way for over 50 year and it has worked very well for me.

I know a man in N.C. that shows Oriental Fowl and he feed each of them a small ball of lean ground meat everyday.

 

[janchilds]

Janet, I always have my feed made up at the grain elevator and add 200# of meat scraps to a ton of feed. I feed all poultry this same mix. I use about a 22 % mix for all poultry. I have done it this way for over 50 year and it has worked very well for me.

I know a man in N.C. that shows Oriental Fowl and he feed each of them a small ball of lean ground meat everyday.

Snowbird, don't you ever have trouble with the feed going bad?

 

[naturespace]

I have an interesting question. I heard from someone a while back that you can feed your chickens raw hamburger meat to give them a Mega boost of protein. I'm really curious if this is true and safe?

They like meat that's for sure. I had my Euskal Oiloas kill a small snake and eat it. They have also eaten mice and chipmunks that we caught in traps or that the dogs have killed. I have heard that heritage breeds require a higher protein content, closer to 20% instead of the 16% that most layer feeds have. Mine are on pasture so I know they are getting more protein by eating bugs.