Anyone have any Welsummers that are good layers?

[mochilee]

I have raised Welsummers twice but both times, sold the flocks by March. Each time they were purchased in summer and sold at 9 months, and they had only produced a couple eggs a week total. Are they usually slow coming in to lay? Anyone have a hatchery that has sold them Welsummers that lay well? I'm curious whether my experience is due to the strain of Welsummers that Ideal uses, or are they really sensitive to temperature (we're in Virginia) or hours of daylight.

 

[debid]

I only have a sample size of 3 here but my experience was that they were slooooooooow to come into lay. 32-44 weeks, to be exact. However, now that they are laying, I'm getting 5-6 eggs per week from each of them and the eggs are large and beautiful. Mine are from a local source, not a hatchery.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Mine are breeders stock - I'm not familiar with hatchery wellies, haven't ever had them.

But my oldest hen is 2 1/2 years old and she gives me 5 eggs a week. 5-6 a week from the pullets. They are very consistent layers.

 

[mochilee]

Now that is very interesting and exactly the sort of info I wanted...I bet I sold them too soon. I will have to try again (oh my, I have to buy more chickens...) I think they are such elegant chickens! Thank you for the input.

 

[crazyfeet]

I'm looking to buy welsummer and or speckled sussex chickens, any age under 2 years old, i live in floyd virgina and will drive up to 60 miles or so to pick up.They will be very well cared for .

 

[suki'smom]

I bought my Welsummers from Meyer Hatchery. They are a bit late maturing but no later than my Speckled Sussex, Jersey Giants or Buff Orpingtons from the same place. I have four of them and get 3-4 eggs per day from them.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I bought my Welsummers from Meyer Hatchery. They are a bit late maturing but no later than my Speckled Sussex, Jersey Giants or Buff Orpingtons from the same place. I have four of them and get 3-4 eggs per day from them.

Do you get any dark eggs at all from them or just speckled?? I have a bunch of 9 week old Welsummers from Meyer right now.

 

[Mrsfoote]

I have a Hatchery wellie who is going to be 3 I believe and she lays a really good sized beautiful terra cotta colored speckly egg nearly everyday.

 

[themenagerie]

I got mine from My Pet Chicken (Meyer) last fall. They were about 30 weeks before the came into lay, they're actually pretty good layers, as good as my Barred Rocks and Easter Eggers. I get 3 eggs just about every day from 3 hens, averaging about 5-6 eggs per hen per week. I get one solid terracotta, one really speckled, and one lightly speckled. I like the colored eggs, and the hens are nice too...quiet but curious, and non aggressive I like them so much, I just ordered a few more from Meyer. I accidentally got a pullet that turned out to be a Roo from that order last fall and he's a really nice, well mannered roo, it's a bonus that he's very handsome to boot.

 

[Simmonsfunnyfrm]

Mine aren't old enough to lay yet, but I got them from Cackle hatchery. Did anyone else get them from there and have them turn out to be good layers? I have 5 and they're 12 weeks. I thought the Cackle website said they were fast maturing. Mine don't like to be handled but they are otherwise friendly. They have all started clucking before my pullets of other breeds, and they feathered out fast, too. I just love the look of them, and really love the look of those terra-cotta/speckled eggs! Mine are actually the noisiest of my 7 breeds. They and one of my cochin pullets just love to hear themselves squawk