The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[SFIcelandics]

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Not a bad ratio on them. 4 males out of 16 chicks!!!

I have been looking and watching all of my welsummers grow, and I am very happy with the way they are looking. I am trying to work on cleaning up the comb, keeping them on the smaller side(my preference). So far none of my hens or roosters have had combs that tilt to the side.

When I had birds from Duane Urch, the hens and cocks both had combs that tilted to the side... I like the smaller combs on them, but I select roosters that hatched out of my darkest 3 eggs every week(i seperate the darkest 3 eggs every week and put a band on those to select my roosters from those eggs.

I am done selling hatching eggs for the year, and still have some cockerels and possibly a few pullets available, anything else that hatches out for the rest of the year I am going to be keeping for breeders in 2011.

Im also working on importing some more eggs/birds. I found some nice welsummers in the UK, but he only has 14 week old chicks so I think I am going to have to wait until next year or the year after to look into those when I can get hatching eggs.

Right now on the agenda are going to be more Aylesbury ducks, and some rare colored orpingtons.

Nate

 

[SFIcelandics]

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Congrats! Hope you get lots of chicks!!! Your not too far from me, so hopefully shipping wasnt so bad on them.

Nate

 

[havi]

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I also like the birds with the smaller combs. I dont like the ones that flop over to the side. Thats one of the reasons why I dont have leghorns. You wouldnt happen to be looking into chocolate orpingtons would you? If so, let me know. I would love to be one of the first ones on your list. I would die if I could get my hands on some chocolate orpington eggs.

 

[EweSheep]

lOL Nate! I dont mind the males so I can take my picks of the best and take it from there! There were two that were questionable, they had a little larger combs but still pale. The females do not have that much of a comb showing.

I, too, like the roo combs on the small side and not so huge like the Leghorns and Orps have.

Cant wait to see those chickies!

 

[Froggy with chickens now!]

I got a 6mth old hen today for Kellogg. I put her in the coop first for a couple of hours before letting her out in the yard. Kellogg started doing his one wing dance. I had to leave for a few minutes and when I got back, my husband said Kellogg jumped on her really bad. She went back in the coop and was limping. I picked her up and there was no blood. I locked her back in the coop again. Now, do I lock Kellogg in the yard for the night, or what? I don't want him hurting her. I may have to go ahead and get rid of him. I wanted to raise babies first, but his mean-ness has got to go! Henny is still here, also. He doesn't fight her, just does his usual male stuff to her.

 

[SFIcelandics]

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I notice that the males feather out differently than the hens... The hens feather out correctly, but the roosters feather in with patches, and not as full right away, thats how I can usually tell right away.

Nate

 

[SFIcelandics]

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I also like the birds with the smaller combs. I dont like the ones that flop over to the side. Thats one of the reasons why I dont have leghorns. You wouldnt happen to be looking into chocolate orpingtons would you? If so, let me know. I would love to be one of the first ones on your list. I would die if I could get my hands on some chocolate orpington eggs.

This is the list of possibilities: RED ORPINGTONS, CHOCOLATE ORPINTONS, and AYLESBURY DUCKS.

The breeders of Chocolate Orpingtons are not letting much stock go right now, and are hard to get hatching eggs from. The guy that is Exporting for me, is checking into it and getting me a price quote on the Chocolate eggs, but he said the price is WAY up there!

Nate

 

[EweSheep]

For some Chocolate Orps, I believe Greenfire Farms have some. You would have to ask, that's for sure!

As for Red Orps, someone on here was working on it...forgot who. Most of it I saw are the F1's.

As for the Welsummer chicks, I did notice a different feathering pattern...it was weird because all the Wellies I've got, didnt have this pattern. Must be a geniune thing!

 

[SFIcelandics]

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I think Greenfire has them on the list to import but have not done it yet.

I only notice the feathering difference on the LF, not the bantams...

Nate

 

[pinkchick]

Froggy with chickens now! :

I got a 6mth old hen today for Kellogg. I put her in the coop first for a couple of hours before letting her out in the yard. Kellogg started doing his one wing dance. I had to leave for a few minutes and when I got back, my husband said Kellogg jumped on her really bad. She went back in the coop and was limping. I picked her up and there was no blood. I locked her back in the coop again. Now, do I lock Kellogg in the yard for the night, or what? I don't want him hurting her. I may have to go ahead and get rid of him. I wanted to raise babies first, but his mean-ness has got to go! Henny is still here, also. He doesn't fight her, just does his usual male stuff to her.

Froggy~

Usually before putting a new bird into a coop I will put the new bird in a place that the existing birds in a coop can see them and get used to them but not touch. This can take a few days to a week or so, then I put the new birds in. There will be a little bit of a pecking order established and they can get a little testy, if the existing birds are being too mean I will pull the new additions for a while longer and put them back where I had them for the first week. I have a big dog crate that I put inside of the coop with an X pen infront of it from when my dog was a puppy, so that they newer birds don't have to stay in the dog crate. I put a piece of shade cloth over the top of the X pen so the older birds can't get in to it and the new birds can't fly out, but gives everybody a chance to see one another. Sorry should have mentioned that before.

He is also just beginning to figure out his "charm" with the ladies and he may be a little rough until he figures that out and learns some manners with them. Is it possible to remove the roo from the pen until the two gals get used to each other, then put Kellogg back in? Just a thought.
I hope it works out for you and that you atleast get some chicks before you may have to find him a new home.​