Please help me sex my welsummers!

[JoeInPA]

Would it be ok to keep one rooster and the hen so they can breed? Will it be significantly more work by doing so? Will they be content being the only two?

 

[chrissynemetz]

I'm so sorry but I agree, I only see one pullet

 

[ShannonR]

Would it be ok to keep one rooster and the hen so they can breed? Will it be significantly more work by doing so? Will they be content being the only two?

I would try it. No, it won't be much more work to breed unless you need to incubate their eggs. Just let the hen do her own thing when she decides to sit. Or sell fertile eggs. Or whatever you want to do. It's your call.

 

[MROO]

I suppose but then I still have 3 roosters to get rid of,.and I don't know if I'm ready to be breeding birds. This is my first time around with chickens.

It's not breeding birds that's the problem ... they tend to pretty much take care of that themselves, ya know ... it's finding homes for all the other extra cockerels you'll end up with that becomes the issue. Unless, of course, you have a nice freezer. Then those extra cockerels come in pretty handy come Sunday dinnertime!

 

[JoeInPA]

It's not breeding birds that's the problem ... they tend to pretty much take care of that themselves, ya know ... it's finding homes for all the other extra cockerels you'll end up with that becomes the issue. Unless, of course, you have a nice freezer. Then those extra cockerels come in pretty handy come Sunday dinnertime!

I guess i can see that becoming an issue. I don't have the heart to cull the roosters. If someone else wants to raise them as meat birds, that's fine, but it's not for me.

 

[AltonaAcres]

You could sell straight-run chicks!

 

[ShannonR]

Hate to break it to you, but Welsummers are auto sexing.

Meaning you can tell the boys from the girls at hatch.

You could sell straight-run chicks!

Not too sure how well that'll go over...

 

[R2elk]

ate to break it to you, but Welsummers are auto sexing.

Meaning you can tell the boys from the girls at hatch.

This works with heritage Welsummers. Hatchery quality Welsummers do not auto sex nearly as well.

 

[Cyprus]

This works with heritage Welsummers. Hatchery quality Welsummers do not auto sex nearly as well.

It can still be done to some degree.

 

[R2elk]

It can still be done to some degree.

I have had both heritage Welsummers and hatchery Welsummers. The auto sexing did not work very well on the hatchery Welsummers.