my Welsummers won't lay :( But now they do! 31 weeks

[Cluckatar]

We're certain that's the Barnie laying one of those eggs every day, I've seen her do it

None of the Welsummers will even squat yet. We're vegetarian, and we've made them our pets, but their flockmates sure are carrying them along at this point

These are barnie, NN, EE

 

[EweSheep]

Two of my LF Wellies are not laying, going thru a molt big time. Time for them to take a break.

Two of my BF Wellies, hatched in March of this year and not yet laid but their combs are starting to red up. I hope not for long I will see those nice brown eggs.

Patience is a virtue.....it would be well worth the wait!

 

[blasto]

Our Wellie girl started laying while we were on an extended trip---7 months after she hatched. She was staying with a friend of mine and before we left we dropped off a little pullet who was smaller than the RIR and Barred Rocks in the run. When we came back 2 months later she was HUGE! My 5yo son (the Wellie is "his" pet") kept insisting that she wasn't the right chicken. She was now much bigger than the RIRs and BRs and her comb and wattles were quite prominent. The photos posted here look very much like my pre-laying pullet. I expect you will start seeing significant changes in your girls soon.

 

[Cluckatar]

It's happened!!!! Today I got one strange looking egg. One of the wellies has started sleeping in the nesting box (I'm not in love with this new habit) but at least she seems to have laid an egg. She'll be 30 weeks old on Wednesday. Now if her sisters get the idea, we'll have some serious eggs around here.

What do you think? Is this a Welsummer egg?

 

[lurky]

 

[Tailfeathers]

I'd say that's probably a Wellie egg. I looked back thru the posts and maybe you said it and I just missed it but I didn't see where you got your Wellies from. That "speckled" egg is typical of a hatchery bird. There is also a guy who I understand has some nice Welsummers by the name of Wil Marrow that produces birds you lay an awful speckled egg. The speckled egg is quite popular with some folks.

Personally, I am trying to breed for a uniform, evenly coated, rich dark reddish-brown egg without speckles but that's just my preference and my goals. If you're happy with those Wellies, that's all that really matters and I say good for you!

God Bless,

 

[lurky]

 

[mistyfeather]

i think that is a bueatiful egg!

i want one!

 

[Cluckatar]

Our Wellies came as three-day-old babies from a lady in Sonoma who buys them for resale. My understanding is that she tries to provide some of the more uncommon breeds, but I don't really know where she's getting them from. It's hatchery stock of some kind. Our goal was to end up with a mixed flock and several different types of eggs, so we seem to be getting that. I had really hoped for the more typical looking dark brown Welsummer egg. There are still two wellies who haven't laid yet, so maybe one of them will come through

 

[felidaet]

Wow! I really like the color of that speckled egg too. I wish I had one that color.

An update since my earlier post in this thread - My two Welsummers and three Easter Eggers are now my best layers! Each of them is laying an egg every day. And the eggs are getting bigger every day. I have weighed several recently. They are just a gram or two below large.