The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[Lensters]

Quote:
Actually, I think that you have the same amount of Maran eggs as Wellies in the pictures. The Wellie eggs have a reddish brown color completely through their shell, fairly uniform with some variation or slight speckling allowed, which also carries through the shell. The Marans eggs are a nice brown color egg, uniform in color, with a layer of dark chocolate colored coating on the top that can be scratched off. On the best Marans eggs the color will cover the entire shell but on most of what you find in the US they are largely speckled.

I was under the impression that, in the case of both breeds, the darker brown is a pigment outer layer that is "sprayed" on a basic brown egg. I have read here in the case of both breeds it can be rubbed or scrubbed off, which seems to be the case with all of my eggs so far. I was also under the impression that Welsummer eggs have a greater occurrence of speckling. I'm not trying to be contrary, just a little confused. Maybe someone more experienced than I can clear things up.

Aslo, I no longer get any of the lighter eggs. I am assuming her "ink jets" kicked in.

There is speckling on all Welsummer eggs but the difference between the dark and light shades is minimal where as the Maran eggs it is pretty extreme, especially in the Marans we have in the USA. A big goal in the Marans club is to darken up the under color. Both the breed's clubs have Yahoo groups where the members discuss many topics, including egg color. I would encourage anyone interested in these breeds to sign up.

Edited to allow for Tailfeather's posting. He is more of an authority than I.

 

[Lensters]

Ok, I just went and cracked open some eggs and got out my magnifying glass to look at the cross section. Tailfeathers is correct, it is a paint job on both, also on the other brown egg layers (I looked at Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red eggs). However, while I can easily scratch the color off the Maran eggs with my finger nail I couldn't get the color off any of the others even with steel wool. I'm pretty sure I read that the Marans are doing their paint job with different glands than the others, which is why my cross between a Welsummer roo and a Cuckoo Marans hen lays light brown eggs that have just a little speckling.

 

[Hozer]

EweSheep, Tailfeathers, Lensters...you folks are just great. The best part about living in a small town is kind folks like you.

Actualy, I have 10 Welsummers and 2 Marans hens (and 3 Ameraucanas) ...all the same age. The Welsummers grew the fastest, matured the quickest, were sexually active first, and I don't doubt began to lay first. I highly doubt there are any marans eggs in this first batch. I was actually asking for future reference because the Marans may start to lay soon.

I also just got a Polish bantam egg. My daughter says it is white and more pointy.

 

[Tailfeathers]

I have had brown eggs from various breeds where the brown has washed off. The wife just got one today. As to why that happens, well, as my kids are fond of saying, "I have no clue."

It is not a reoccuring thing from what I can tell but more of a sporadic thing. Meaning, it is not a regular happening and does not seem to be contained to any one breed or variety.

God Bless,

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Here is a few of my Bantam Welsummers

 

[Lensters]

Quote:
I'm not usually a fan of banties but those are some nice looking birds.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

I agree, they are nice looking!

Here are my three babies

And today at 5 weeks old,

 

[gamebirdsonly]

Quote:
I'm not usually a fan of banties but those are some nice looking birds.

Thank you

 

[SunnyDawn]

I've been wanting to get some Wellies. I have 3 marans and they are not super friendly birds but they are also not flighty. They are very well behaved but seem to avoid contact when possible (unless I have treats of course). They have been consistent layers of medium sized eggs (they are a little over 8 months old), even in the cold weather (though eggs seem a little smaller than usual). They are a very large bird but do not lay as big an egg as my RIR pullets that are younger and smaller. 2 of my M pullets lay a dark brown speckled egg and the other lays a lighter brown speckled egg. All of the eggs have a layer of color that washes off too easily (the straw in the nests take quite a bit of the brown color off!).
What are the major differences between the 2 varieties?

 

[EweSheep]

Games, wooooooooooooo weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, beautiful young'uns!

My rooster does not have the same shade of coloring as yours but neverthanless, they are handsome as they go!

Its too dark now for me to get some pics! If I got a mind to do so, I will pick him up, bring him in the house, take a few pics and let him go back outside.