The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[CupOJoe42]

The first picture looks just like my Welsummer Hen, Autumn. She is very large, dark, mahogany brown, and has a hawk-like face.

My Golden Campine, Topaz, is smaller and looks much different.

They were between 6-8 weeks old in these pictures.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Beautiful eggs!

 

[EweSheep]

The Partridge Rock pattern is a bit different than the barring pattern that the chick displayed. That is what is confusing sometimes. I would say with confidence, a Golden Campine. Not the first time I was wrong about certain breeds LOL!

This morning I have to deal with how I am going to tell my daughter, that her beloved SSHB died due to feral cat, sewer rat or coon got to her. Something plucked most of all the feathers off of her, no body or pieces being found and no tracks left behind. I have not told her yet but it would be one big blow to her. A couple of my wonderful BYC/FB friends are giving ideas about how to create a rememberance of Gretl. I am NOT looking forward inthis at all........she has not experienced death or have a concept of death. She is seven years old. Hubby is a bit callous "Oh, well, it is just life". Yeah, it is but a terrible price to pay on my end by not shutting the door on the coop (we have real problems with sewer rats this time) and not looking out for an old chicken quite well. Gretl is six years old this month, had her when she was six months old, shipped from MI, but this year really kicked her back, kept getting slower and "older" acting and not laying very many eggs at all, lucky to get four this year out of her. She would just walk slowly to the fence for treats and most of the time she would just sit on her perch. I thought she had egg impactation but none nor was she losing weight either. She was heavy and lazy you might put it like an elderly person. I assumed this winter will kick her butt goodbye this time.

Now I am down to four girls, two LF, one BF Welsummers and one Black Orp banty mom. Let's hope I don't lose anymore. Been seeing more owls and rats at this time of the year. Coons coul dnot get into the coop unless they want to share burrow holes with the rats which they do have access into the run. Thankfully it does not happen because we do have neighbor's dogs around us. Two nights ago, we kept smelling skunk. Next time when I smell skunk, I better keep a look out. Nothing in the run or coop has been torn or forced into. Plenty of netting that would tangle up anything.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
Sorry to hear this

, it will no doubt be hard, is there a spot in your yard that you can mark as her resting place? You probably don't have to tell her that you couldn't find the body just explain to her what happened-keeping it simple and show her the spot and let her decide if she wants some type of marker- a special plant or rock to place there. My youngest will be 7 years old in spring and I am thinking of what worked when we had to say good bye to our dog who was old and sick. Once again sorry to hear of this

 

[Happy Chooks]

So sorry Robin.

I can relate - the first chicken we lost was my oldest son's chicken, a hawk got her. Why does it always have to be the kids chicken?

 

[Tailfeathers]

Wow! I just looked at the time. I came on here to surf a few pages and make a quick post but I've got to get outside, make my rounds, and make sure the birds are all tucked in for the night. So in the interest of saving time, here's a post I just made on another thread. Hope to spend more time on this thread now that things are settling down a little...

Well, I haven't been getting anything in my email so who knows what all I've missed on here. Thought I'd make a quick post to maybe start getting them again and to say that I just saw the weirdest egg I've ever seen.

You should have seen the egg that the wife cracked open on Sunday night. It was one of those nights where we decided to have breakfast for supper. After cooking up the biscuits, sausage & gravy and frying up some bacon she went to cook me some over-easy eggs. Well, one of them was a duck egg and out came a normal looking egg along with a much smaller but perfectly formed egg - shell and all - on the inside as well. Here's a little bitty blue egg sitting in the white of the other right next to the yolk. Now how about that?!

The inside of the smaller egg was just egg white except for some small whitish stuff that was probably either the chalaza or the germinal disc.

On a side note, for those thinking about next year already, it looks like I will have a real surplus of WBS Ameraucanas. I hatched out over 150 this year and still have 25 in the brooder with several more in the two chickhouses and in the lower coop below. I plan to raise all these up before making my final cuts for the breeding pens. Thus far my only disappointment has been that the male/female ratio is about 50/50. So I'll have lots of excess cockerels for anyone wanting to get started with the WBS variety or wishing to make their own EE's. I'm pretty happy with the boys I've got now so I'm not putting too much focus on males this year as I plan to keep them unless I get a significant improvement in the their progeny. And I hate to spend the $$ to keep feeding them on the hopes that I'll get something phenomenal that I just can't pass up. In fact, I've already picked out several that I want to get rid of ASAP in case anyone wants them. Otherwise I'm probably going to just put them down now because they won't be worth the $10 which is what I get if I keep feeding them. And I've still got plenty in the freezer. But I'll keep all the females for now though and make the final big cut next year - unless I see something really pop out like I did with the two I sold today.

The Barnies and Wellies are doing well too. As of now, I'm keeping all of them. I did make some significant improvement in leg and skin color. Moreso with the Wellies than the Barnies. From what I can see, I haven't lost anything from last year but it's still a little to early to see what the final result wll be.

The Barnies have kept their lacing and the sheen is as good as it was on the pullet that did so well at the show last March. The males are looking pretty good too but all of them need improvement in leg and skin color. Given that I whacked everything but my best trio last year, I'm pretty happy to have just what I've got. And I'm pretty happy with most of what I'm seeing in most of the males and females. Still, I've got several years ahead of me to correct a few things.

I've got 3 really nice Welsummer cockerels but I'm starting to see some fluff peaking out at the bottom of two of their tails. My best male I will keep for breeding but I can't show him as somebody (probably Goliath) took a bite out of his comb and one whole point is missing from the middle. As for the females, some of you know that I decided to move the hackle color on my birds more to the "copper" side vice the "yellow gold" side of the spectrum. Both are acceptable according to the SOP but I like the darker hackles more than the yellowish and I also felt this will be a way for me to distinguish my line from many others who seem to prefer the more golden mantle on the females.

That's pretty much it. I've still got a few birds for sale, mostly EE's, Black & Blue Orps, maybe some BJGs and Buff Brahmas but for the most part I'm stuck with feeding a bunch of birds for quite a few more months before I decide what to do. Oh, btw, I do have a lone Lavender Ameraucana. I had planned on working with the Lavenders to help get them accepted but now with just the lone male I may decide not to. I've either got to get a couple of Lavender pullets or get rid of him. So if anyone can help with either of those, email me please.

God Bless,

 

[EweSheep]

Well she took it pretty hard, cried, mad and awhole lot of emotions. Good thing we had counseling tonight and she was just okay and happy again after it was done. I told her that we can make a shadowbox with Gretl's pics, her feathers, her two eggs that I saved in the basket, and someone in here that makes feather pendant, I will be sending her a couple of feathers for daughter to remember her by.

It was terrible blow to her but wants another one. I told her if we do, it will not be the same as Gretl unless someone took the time to mess with the bird alot because Gretl is one "pocket" bird and can be taken anywhere and everywhere.

RIP Gretl, you are one wonderful chicken that anyone could ask for!

 

[EweSheep]

Royce, why couldn't you start shipping your birds?!

I know NPIP is the problem but WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!

 

[flowerchild59]

Quote:
Gretl sure was a pretty girl. I hope your daughter chooses another one that will be just as sweet as that darling bird.

 

[silkymom1986]

Had 6 Wellsummer chicks hatch over the last 36 hours, they are so cute! Will post some pics soon! Just wanted to share my excitement!! This was my first time incubating eggs!