The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[Cynthia12]

We are getting the heat too here too in Utah. So many fires! I was so worried about my chickens with the smoke in the air, the ashes falling around us. They said that we are 10 degrees hotter than normal for June. They are panting all the time. The smaller ones seem to do better than the older ones for sure. I have two small Welsummers in my grow out pen. They are doing well.
I also spray the coop ground, let the older ones out in the yard, wet down the dirt where they like to lay, fresh water everywhere. Thank goodness, the smoke has let up for now..but it keeps coming and going, according to which way the wind is blowing. We are in the valley, we have three that are surrounding us now in the mountain range, but have 6 fires going in Utah at this time..then there's poor Colorado! Soo many homes and whole neighborhoods gone! The news has reported that this is the hottest year across our nation for many many states.
We can only do our best for our animals. Our chickens know where to hang out for the coolest area for them, find it, and wet it if you can. Good luck to everyone that is going through this heat spell.

 

[suebgbr]

We are the opposite here in England. So much rain, many homes flooded. My poor babies are paddling in so much mud I had to put down bark chip. For all our complaining about English weather, I would much rather be here than have the threat of my babies dying from the heat or having my house catch fire. I feel for all of you x

 

[Cynthia12]

sue...send some of that rain over here!! yes, the chickens tend to do better in the wet, especially if it isn't cold wet. But, I can imagine just how tired you are of it if it's been non stop. Good luck to you too!

 

[Tailfeathers]

Naturespace, I'm not one for critiquing other folks' birds but since you asked and seem to be genuinely interested in getting criticism (so many folks are downright put off by getting any), and since nobody else has answered your request - I will.

Here's a quick run down but keep in mind that pictures can be and are often misleading so what I see may not be the actual case.

1) Overall Type is pretty good. I like his tail angle (But watch that fluff at the base. Any fluff showing is a deduction and you won't be able to tell how much of a deduction it is until he gets fully feathered. Ideally, you won't see any. But hey, you have to start someone and a little isn't necessarily a reason to cull him.) Length of back (although his back could be a little flatter), length of neck is good, wing position is good, skull size seems to be ok. Length of leg looks good though I'd like to see a little more width between them and he may be just a bit knock-kneed, but again, that's hard to tell from a single pic or two.

2) Personally, I like the style of his comb. Ideally I'd like a bit more comb and a bit less length in points but much of that is personal preference. He does have one more point than the SOP calls for but that is a very minor deduction. It appears straight and follows the head nicely. Not too long as many I have seen. Not too big and not too smal. Pretty nice overall. No noticeable folds that I can see.

3) Poor eye color. But again, this could just be the pic.

4) Beak is nice. Earlobes are nice. Wattles are nice. Not too long and not too oblong. Way too many Wellies I've seen have wattles that are way too long.

5) Moving down, I'm not quite sure what to say about his breast. I like the width and girth. The color though is another story. It looks like he'll obviously have some mottling but it's hard to tell what it will wind up looking like. Ideally, you want some nice evenly spaced reddish-brown mottling to show evenly throughout the breast feathers but it shouldn't make up more than 20% I believe. Don't have the SOP in front of me, don't have time to go get it, and believe it or not I don't have it memorized yet either. The way my memory is going, that may never happen.

6) From the top, I'm not sure about his coloration either. There appears to be some black at the base of the hackles. Not the black striping in the bottom hackles but under that. And that different tone of brown under the saddles that are coming in is throwing me off.

7) Leg color is very good.

So that's my two-cents from a quick lookover. Hope it helps. Btw, mind if I ask where you got him?

God Bless,

 

[naturespace]

Tailfeathers,
Thanks! That was a great review. Thanks for the details. It helps a lot. I wasn't sure about the comb points (didn't know where to start counting.
I hatched him from eggs I got from 'ruth' on BYC. I believe she got her stock originally from Whitmore Farms.

 

[faykokoWV]

Its always so helpful to read a bird review like that!!

 

[soldier]

Tell me what you think of our boy. He is 17 weeks old, so he still has some filling out to do. Does his comb look good? (i think it does) eyes? Wattle size? coloring on chest? Anything else? You don't have to hold back. I will not get upset and if he is too young to start critiquing let me know that too.






I REALLY like your rooster. It looks like he is also going to have the lighter/gold hackle coloring which I personally like. I have two grown roos and one younger one. Of the two older roos one has reddish hackle coloring and the other gold. The gold just stands out. SO BEAUTIFUL.
NICE ROOSTER but that is just my opinion. I am not a critic. Just like nice lovely eye candy and he is sure sweet eye candy.

 

[Happy Chooks]

He's still really young, they change so much. He looks good. Leg color is great. Some things I see if you are comparing to the SOP: could be the picture, but his eyes look yellow. They are supposed to be reddish bay in color. Possibly a bit too much red in his chest/thighs, but this could change as he gets older. One too many comb points. (not a biggie)

I'd like to see how he fills out in the chest as he gets older. Nice looking boy.

 

[naturespace]

Thanks soldier and happy. I think he is pretty handsome, but will wait and see how he fills out. Thanks for your opinions. I find them helpful as I am still learning about this breed.

At what age can I expect the girls to start laying? The have big red combs and wattles at 18 weeks.

 

[20736]

OK, You're kidding.
735 pages of Wellies...... don't you people sleep?
Who can read all this, I'll be here for a month reading all these posts.
Just added Welsummers to our home flock, really like what I read so I got some with our RP turkeys.
.


Look forward to reading all the posts (yeah, like when I retire or something).