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The Welsummer Thread!!!!
- Thread starter pinkchick
- Start date
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I don't think we need a welsummer egg chart, Peoples welsummers should lay a raich brown, tracotta or, dark spotted eggs and darker or they are not welsummer simple as that.
That my opinion anyways.
I'll admit some of my hens are lacking egg color, Or I am propbably just getting use to my girls laying super dark
, but they are not as light a a RIR or barred rock eggs.
If I get some that lay light they are culled ASAP ! I had a young pullet last year lay deep Mohogany Red color eggs, But at the time I had so many welsummers I couldnt tell how was laying it and , I culled her by accident
SO at this point I am breeding and hatching those with the darkest eggs, to get the darkest egg possible for my future genertions, & for exhibition. I am showing again in 2 weeks. I'll keep you posted on my results BYC.
I don't think we need a welsummer egg chart, Peoples welsummers should lay a raich brown, tracotta or, dark spotted eggs and darker or they are not welsummer simple as that.
I'll admit some of my hens are lacking egg color, Or I am propbably just getting use to my girls laying super dark
If I get some that lay light they are culled ASAP ! I had a young pullet last year lay deep Mohogany Red color eggs, But at the time I had so many welsummers I couldnt tell how was laying it and , I culled her by accident
SO at this point I am breeding and hatching those with the darkest eggs, to get the darkest egg possible for my future genertions, & for exhibition. I am showing again in 2 weeks. I'll keep you posted on my results BYC.
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I have culled one Wellie hen that laid a very dark red egg, oh it sucks when it happens but I could not figure out which one did it even they hopped in the box and warm egg thinking it was hers. Nope!
The problem with getting it too dark, some folks say you can almost make it like a Marans egg which we do not want that to happen. We want EACH breed of dark egg layer to stand out differently that you can tell which egg come out of which.
Some newbies would consider "dark" eggs when they are just as dark as the Barred Rock eggs and try to sell it off as like that which we do not want it to happen if we can help it. As for the Welsummer Club, we will try to keep focusing on the correct egg color not being too light or too dark, or any imperfections that we would see in those eggs. The Holland breeders are trying to get darker but they have lost it several generations back on the egg color and realized that they need to bring back the terra cotta colors back. So right now, one guy is doing that with Nate's eggs to import them into HOlland and they can work on that in the future generations.
The problem with getting it too dark, some folks say you can almost make it like a Marans egg which we do not want that to happen. We want EACH breed of dark egg layer to stand out differently that you can tell which egg come out of which.
Some newbies would consider "dark" eggs when they are just as dark as the Barred Rock eggs and try to sell it off as like that which we do not want it to happen if we can help it. As for the Welsummer Club, we will try to keep focusing on the correct egg color not being too light or too dark, or any imperfections that we would see in those eggs. The Holland breeders are trying to get darker but they have lost it several generations back on the egg color and realized that they need to bring back the terra cotta colors back. So right now, one guy is doing that with Nate's eggs to import them into HOlland and they can work on that in the future generations.
- Thread starter
- #714
Hi everyone! Just checking in as I haven't been around for a while.
I'm collecting eggs from my 1 remaining Wellie girl again for the incubator.
Josh~
Those are some pretty eggs you've got there. I had an older Welsummer hen that layed an egg like that. I had a hard time telling her egg from my Marans eggs. Sadly she was killed by my neighbors dogs.
I'm collecting eggs from my 1 remaining Wellie girl again for the incubator.
Josh~
Those are some pretty eggs you've got there. I had an older Welsummer hen that layed an egg like that. I had a hard time telling her egg from my Marans eggs. Sadly she was killed by my neighbors dogs.
Well, my wellie babies are due to arrive from Estes next week. I've read they are from the Harry Shaw breeder, does anyone know where his stock came from? I've googled some of the breeders names to figure out the different lines and have no such luck. Can someone humor me and give me a brief description of the breeders that their excellent stock came from? I want to have a flock that people want to buy from but I fear that I got a little too excited and purchased 25 "hatchery" stock. Which, basically they are right now... LOL
When can I start to tell for sure the boys from the girls on my Wels. I got them a week ago and they are now 8 days old and just beautiful chicks. Some are strongly marked and others more soft or not so well defined around the head. Very lively chicks. I got 18 and am guessing, but I think I got 12-14 pullets in the bunch. At least I hope so. My goal is to keep them for now and then later to keep the darkest egg layers and go from there.
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If the hatchery hasn't had control of the birds for more than a generation or two then the lines could be pertinent, otherwise it is all on the knowledge and care of the hatchery's breeding manager, because it doesn't take too many generations to set bad traits into a line of birds. Some hatcheries buy eggs from breeders, you can tell because they charge significantly more for those chicks. However, that doesn't mean that they are significantly better birds as not all breeders are equal in ability or care. Get a copy of the APA standard and attend a show or two to see how the standard is interpreted. With poor stock you can start making decent birds in a couple of generations and good birds in a few years. All of my Welsummers are from breeders but a number of my other breeds I purchased pullets from big hatcheries and buy good cockerels from breeders. I cull about 2/3rds of the big hatchery pullets so that I don't have too many "bad genes" in any one bird and then select only the best offspring. As far as I can see that is the fastest way to get high quality birds for a reasonable price in a reasonable amount of time.
If the hatchery hasn't had control of the birds for more than a generation or two then the lines could be pertinent, otherwise it is all on the knowledge and care of the hatchery's breeding manager, because it doesn't take too many generations to set bad traits into a line of birds. Some hatcheries buy eggs from breeders, you can tell because they charge significantly more for those chicks. However, that doesn't mean that they are significantly better birds as not all breeders are equal in ability or care. Get a copy of the APA standard and attend a show or two to see how the standard is interpreted. With poor stock you can start making decent birds in a couple of generations and good birds in a few years. All of my Welsummers are from breeders but a number of my other breeds I purchased pullets from big hatcheries and buy good cockerels from breeders. I cull about 2/3rds of the big hatchery pullets so that I don't have too many "bad genes" in any one bird and then select only the best offspring. As far as I can see that is the fastest way to get high quality birds for a reasonable price in a reasonable amount of time.
Well, the good news is I got my first Wellie egg.
The bad news is it was a small, soft shelled egg that I found broken in the nest box.
But hey, it was IN the nest box! Maybe tomorrow I'll get one with a shell.
It's gotta be Feisty, because Cleopatra still looks a ways from laying. They are almost 24 weeks old.
The bad news is it was a small, soft shelled egg that I found broken in the nest box.
It's gotta be Feisty, because Cleopatra still looks a ways from laying. They are almost 24 weeks old.
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I had the chance to make friends with Harry Shaw by emails back and forth...he was a delightful gentleman! I do remember his website of Welsummers and they were dark eggers and the quality were good.
He was not willing to share where his Welsummers came from but the rumors has it they were of Barber lines. He did produce some really nice ones and I got the Calicowood hen here that is already three years old who she came from directly the parents from his stock by a Florida breeder. Therefore, she would be called 2nd gen 100% Calicowoods. She laid a very dark terra cotta egg and no speckles. Just beautiful! I wished I had more of her sisters but the shipping from Florida was pretty costly. I would not trade her for a million dollars!
He passed away Dec 20, 2006, lifeless in the duck pen as he was feeding them. All of his birds were sold to Estes Hatchery except for his Bronze turkeys which his wife could not take care of all fo his poultry. It was a big financial concern. When he was alive, he was the supplier for Cackle and Estes Hatchery for his birds. I do agree in future generations produced by Estes if they do not follow the standards, it will suffer and the quality will be lost. With Opa and seeing his eggs and his birds, well, I sure hope they kept up with the strictest breeding program they can get.
He would be greatly missed by those who knew him or knew him very little like I have. Glad to have one of his descendents.
I had the chance to make friends with Harry Shaw by emails back and forth...he was a delightful gentleman! I do remember his website of Welsummers and they were dark eggers and the quality were good.
He was not willing to share where his Welsummers came from but the rumors has it they were of Barber lines. He did produce some really nice ones and I got the Calicowood hen here that is already three years old who she came from directly the parents from his stock by a Florida breeder. Therefore, she would be called 2nd gen 100% Calicowoods. She laid a very dark terra cotta egg and no speckles. Just beautiful! I wished I had more of her sisters but the shipping from Florida was pretty costly. I would not trade her for a million dollars!
He passed away Dec 20, 2006, lifeless in the duck pen as he was feeding them. All of his birds were sold to Estes Hatchery except for his Bronze turkeys which his wife could not take care of all fo his poultry. It was a big financial concern. When he was alive, he was the supplier for Cackle and Estes Hatchery for his birds. I do agree in future generations produced by Estes if they do not follow the standards, it will suffer and the quality will be lost. With Opa and seeing his eggs and his birds, well, I sure hope they kept up with the strictest breeding program they can get.
He would be greatly missed by those who knew him or knew him very little like I have. Glad to have one of his descendents.
Well decided to incubate some of my bantam welsummer eggs and 9 of my standard. There is 93 bantam eggs some are 3 weeks old. I couldn't bring my self to throwing them away.
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