Are Welsummers used to breed EE's?

[Jashdon]

I've notice that a lot of EE hens that I see have very similar feather coloring as Welsummer hens. Especially the black feathers with yellow margins or edges on the back of the neck. Do they use Welsummer chickens to breed EE's?

 

[EweSheep]

The Brown Wheaton EEs are very common, even back in the 70's when I first learned about those chickens. It was way before Welsummers came in the picture.

You certainly can breed Wellies to EE;s to get some dark olive eggers.

 

[Chickndaddy]

I seem to remember reading somewhere (and of course I an't remember where) that if you allow different colors of chickens to breed that eventually you will get to a partridge color which is what Welsummers are. Kind of like pigeons left up to their own devices inevitably end up with the grey (wild rock pigeon coloration). Easter eggers are so crossed maybe that is why they end up with a partridge like coloration...

 

[wclawrence]

One would think that indiscriminate mating would return you to wild pattern in almost any animal.
Wild type for chickens, however, is "duckwing" aka "e+"
More specifically, red duckwing or bb red.