Minnesota!

[Minniechickmama]

My chicks are growing tail feathers!

That is how Welsummers feather.

They very well may be Sussex, but if they do turn out to be Wellies, I doubt you will be disappointed, they are good layers and have beautiful dark brown eggs your customers would love to see! Mine have freckles on most of their eggs too, which is an added bonus. They are very calm and easy to handle birds too. I love my Welsummer roosters for how well behaved they are too. They don't tear up the hens nearly as bad as the others and they have never been aggressive toward people, plus they are gorgeous birds, see:


Yes, I am teasing you.

But while I am at it, here is a hen:

She has a coarse looking head, but she is my biggest Wellie girl. I think she must be the momma to that rooster, he is a big boy for a Wellie - actually closest to the right size and weight of any of the Wellie roosters I have raised, I think.
The bad thing with my Welsummers, my old rooster who was 4, when he molted last fall, went from looking like the fella above to this:

 

[Minniechickmama]

I might as well let you know what else I have to sell if anyone is interested....
I got some accidental crossbreed chicks that are mostly New Hampshire but have some Welsummer in them too. I think I have about 8 of them. They should be very good layers, so if anyone is interested in those, let me know.

I can't wait to show you all too, all the fun stuff I am hatching out of a little fun project I started with some bantams. I started last year with crossing a bantam Barred hen to a White Silkie rooster, and then to a Bantam Salmon Faverolle. From that I have a Barred rooster who looks like a little Barred Rock with some feather stubs on his legs. I put him in with his two sisters, who are all Black with some stubs, (and have been laying daily for weeks!) I started putting all their eggs in when I set a batch, and I am getting some really cool stuff coming out. Mind you, this is just a fun little thing and it is helping me learn more about color genetics. Instead of trying to describe them, I will share with you the chicken calculator outcomes:
This is the first pairing from last year:

And these were last year's outcomes:

This year I chose these ones first (will do the half Silkie soon, but need to switch my boys around)

And look at all the possible outcomes!!!! (Genotype is what they are made up from genetically, Phenotype is what you see)














I know I have some of the Barred Silver Wheaten ones in the brooders. I cannot wait to see those!!!
And if any of you want to check out the chicken calculator, go to: http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html

 

[holm25]

Holy cats Minnie! What happened to that Wellie!


How old are the NH mutts?


U got a good project going there with lots of outcomes!

 

[KlopKlop]

That is how Welsummers feather. They very well may be Sussex, but if they do turn out to be Wellies, I doubt you will be disappointed, they are good layers and have beautiful dark brown eggs your customers would love to see! Mine have freckles on most of their eggs too, which is an added bonus. They are very calm and easy to handle birds too. I love my Welsummer roosters for how well behaved they are too. They don't tear up the hens nearly as bad as the others and they have never been aggressive toward people, plus they are gorgeous birds, see: Yes, I am teasing you. But while I am at it, here is a hen: She has a coarse looking head, but she is my biggest Wellie girl. I think she must be the momma to that rooster, he is a big boy for a Wellie - actually closest to the right size and weight of any of the Wellie roosters I have raised, I think. The bad thing with my Welsummers, my old rooster who was 4, when he molted last fall, went from looking like the fella above to this:

We sure will see what they look like in a few weeks how funny would it be if there was a mix up! I wouldn't be terribly sad but probably would be on the phone to Hoovers haha I googled for pictures of both kinds of chicks and boy if they aren't just alike!

 

[holm25]

I love my Wellies! The roo was the best. But I culled him last fall and kept his son. The hens are BEAUTIFUL! I added a pic of a younger one too.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Holy cats Minnie! What happened to that Wellie!


How old are the NH mutts?


U got a good project going there with lots of outcomes!

The mutts are 2 weeks.

There must be a crazy gene in my Welsummers that they lose color from. It stinks. It is why I am either getting a new line, breeding for eggs only , or just replacing with a different breed.

 

[KlopKlop]

The mutts are 2 weeks.


There must be a crazy gene in my Welsummers that they lose color from.  It stinks.  It is why I am either getting a new line, breeding for eggs only , or just replacing with a different breed.

I can see how that is bad from a show bird stand point but I think he looks neat!

 

[Minniechickmama]

We sure will see what they look like in a few weeks

how funny would it be if there was a mix up! I wouldn't be terribly sad but probably would be on the phone to Hoovers haha
I googled for pictures of both kinds of chicks and boy if they aren't just alike!

Well, if it is a Welsummer, it is a pullet. You can sex pullets at hatch.

 

[KlopKlop]

Well, if it is a Welsummer, it is a pullet.  You can sex pullets at hatch.

It is supposed to be 15 pullets and 2 cockerels. I have a guess at one cockerel but they mostly look all the same

 

[Minniechickmama]

I can see how that is bad from a show bird stand point but I think he looks neat!

The vet who came out to AI test just thought he was the coolest bird! He did look cool, but he is at freezer camp in Wanamingo.