Purchased a Welsummer-- but I'm thinking it's not actually a Welsummer.

[dretd]

She does look like a Welsummer in the new pictures--thanks for posting.

There are different lines of Welsummers from different breeders. I had one several years ago that was more boxy-looking. She passed and I had to get a replacement. The new one came from a bin with two different colors one slightly lighter. At the time I looked it up and I found some posts that said they can come in a silver duckwing color too. I got the more traditional color and this one is definitely more brown and less red than my first one and she is also a lighter weight and more rangy-looking bird, almost like she has some American Gamefowl way back in her line. My point is that they could both be Welsummers from two different strains.

 

[kwinnypoo]

Ah, ok, TBH the other Wellie looks like my RIR only lighter, with a different style comb...

 

[wolftracks]

I have two different lines. One is German and unless you've been around Wellies it can sort of seem like they are different breeds. I have the lighter ones and the darker ones. Whatever the lines, I know you will enjoy her. They are very mice birds.

 

[aoxa]

Welsummers are known to be broody. Probably why she adopted the chicks you have.

I have babies that my roo feeds. Hens are actually more likely to be aggressive towards chicks than roos in my experience. All of my 4 boys are better with the chicks than the girls (except their own mothers of course).

to the OP: How long have you had her? Has she laid any eggs? She does not look like a Welsummer at all to me. Even with the new pictures.

 

[EweSheep]

Well from what I see she is not a true example of the Welsummer because of her coloration, its too dark. She may have been crossed with the Barnvelders to get the dark egg colors OR could be from German lines. However there were too much "red" in her breast feathers and something tells me she may have RIR somewhere in her lines. Who knows! I can say she would be a good pet, to lay eggs for you. Would I breed her? Definately not!

Also the head feather patterns, tipped with white tells me there is something else going on as well.

Welsummers are NOT known to be broody. It is NOT a breed that would have broody tendencies however there ARE exceptions when a Welsummer would be broody but horrible mothers once the chicks hatch. It is a double edged sword since you can incubate them and when it is almost time for the chickies to hatch, you can put them in the bator to finish out only IF you know the mom has the tendency to KILL the chicks. I've heard people saying that their Welsummers have successfully brood their chicks which it makes me have a smile on my face but Welsummers are known for egg production.

 

[kwinnypoo]

I don't care either way, just like to have a bearing on what I may or may not have in my yard, for fun based information, primarily. Eggs are solely for collecting and selling. The lady said all her Wells were good at hatching eggs... she allowed them to interbreed (she has some EE's too) but I'm not certain of the Rooster breed. Either way, as long as she lays, doesn't matter, haha, just thought she was a strange looking bird, a bit creepy with her blood red eyes and spurs... Almost nightmarish, haha...

 

[dretd]

Ewesheep wrote:
Quote: Our new aforementioned Wellie that looks like she as Gamefowl in her background surprised me when she went broody last week at a hair ove a year old. Our first one was much more typical of the breed and was never broody.

We decided to let her set some barnyard mix eggs becasue its the right time of the year and I am just really tired of breaking broodies. I hope that the infusion of whatever someone put in her background will help her be a decent mom--my vegetarian daugheter would be very upset if she took to killing the chicks.

When do you see this predilection for killing the chicks? Do you see it at hatch and find a bunch of dead chicks around the nest or are they ok for a time and then come home to find a bunch of dead chick in the run? If the latter I can always pull them out and brood them separately. Any warning signs this will happen or does it just spring up?