The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[buff-eye]

I am looking for a rooster, so does anyone know anybody down in the south,southwest of Ohio to where I can get one. Lost mine a month ago found dead when I went to fed after work. First time with the welsummers and like them alot. They are doing good with my buckeyes and buff orphs. They just stated laying at six and half months and love those dark brown eggs. Yes it does suck when you don't have a backup rooster. I burnt a few times on that.

 

[petrelline]

I love love love the pictures of welsummer roos in this topic. SO PRETTY!

I've got two welsummer hens I got from a women in town as pullets who got them as chicks from a feed store -- I'm assuming they are hatchery wellies. They give me lovely lovely dark eggs, with speckles, and 5 a week like clockwork (but not right now, they're no good in the winter for me).

But their personalities are just terrible. Both hens are grump as all getout, bossy, and get to shouting up a racket when they don't get their way. (if the nesting box is occupied when they want it I will hear about it. from across the yard I will hear about it.) They are mean to all the other chickens and especially to newcomers -- even after all the other layers have accepted new chickens into the flock, the welsummers are still chasing them at every opportunity. They won't let me near them, and one of them frequently bites me if I'm not paying attention. I have to keep a close eye on her. I admit more than once I've wanted to put both of them into the pot.

Can I assume I just got unlucky with these two, and this behavior isn't a function of the breed itself? I love the eggs, but none of my other chickens have ever been this noisy or this mean.

 

[CountryMom]

One of our Roosters is an alarmest. Drives me insane. He is getting better with me though as I pick up our Roosters regularly and carry them around doing chores. The shorter of our two roosters is super sweet. He is my son's favorite and has been carried all over the place. The hens are not mean at all and I can't say that they are super noisey. They have pretty much been middle of the road on the pecking order with our Barred Rock leading the entire flock. I would basically call my Welsummers shy. Not mean at all, but curious and do love treats, but not on your lap chickens.

 

[Mountain Sunshine]

I thought I would share this....My Wellsummer's are 16 or 17 weeks now and one of them stuck his head out of the door this morning ( he has been trying to crow for about a week now) and gave it a really good go of it. Poor thing he just sounded like a starter on car going bad. I looked at him and cheered him on, it was like he knew he didn't do well and he hung his head down and slumped back into the house.
I felt so bad for him, I had to go fix him his favorite warm oatmeal with mashed bananas. When I returned and saw what I had he came running out of the house...without crowing though! Maybe tomorrow!

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
AWESOME Roo! He's gorgeous!

 

[Hozer]

Quote:
You did not get unlucky, you got hatchery birds. I think there is a huge difference between hatchery Welsummers and breeder's Welsummers. I know of 2 people locally who got rid of their hatchery Welsummers because they were so flighty (psycho). They couldn't understand why I would be interested in this breed. It's a shame these hatchery birds are giving the breed a bad rep.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I had 5 welsummer eggs make it to lockdown. 2 never pipped and died fully formed in the shell. I also had some of her BR, and 2 hatched, but both of those turned out to be boys. I'm so happy I got 2 girls and 1 boy.

ETA: It was my first time hatching.

 

[lauralou]

Awww. I hate that 2 fully formed, but didn't hatch. That must have been such a disappointment!

I never have the nerve to open an egg that didn't hatch. I just pretend like they weren't fertile or something.

At any rate, good for you with the three that you did get. They are lovely!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yes, I was disappointed. It was probably my fault. I had a BR tear itself open when hatching, and the others that had hatched were pecking at it. I couldn't sit there and watch that, so I opened the bator to pull him out and put a band aid over the wound, then put him back in. The humidity was high enough, but who knows. One was a beautiful, dark, speckled egg that I had hoped would hatch into a girl.

Thanks for the compliment of my babies. I always thought my hatchery girls were pretty, but these welsummers are just gorgeous. My cockeral, who is 10 weeks tomorrow, is getting the blue/green coloring. I can't wait to get my first eggs from the girls, although I have a while to wait.

 

[pinkchick]

*sits here waiting......and waiting........and waiting for atleast one pip!*