The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[Happy Chooks]

I have never had these before but I just received my eggs in the mail. I hope they hatch!!!

I love the speckled one in the top right

Good luck with your hatch!

 

[Theocons123]

Mine started laying at 6 months as she was from a hatchery. But her first solid egg was laid while a little girl was holding her upside down. Goldie (my well summer) was terrified. Also Goldie is going through an early moult (I think) but has been broody for a long time...

 

[Eissens]

Large Welsumer eggs. Both are Best Eggs at the AGM of the Dutch Welsumerclub 2012 and 2013.

 

[Eissens]

UK Welsumer eggs.
Those were some of my hatching eggs.
I returned to the Netherlands with 56 eggs from two different breeders, Frank Clark and Michael Hart.
As you can see the UK eggs are browner than the Dutch eggs, but the UK eggs are missing the characteristic spots and splashes.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I know some breeders here in the US are selecting for solid colored eggs without speckles. I personally love both the solid and the speckled.

The lightest eggs in your pictures are a lot like the color of our barnevelder eggs here. Although barnevelder eggs are more rounded in shape.

 

[faykokoWV]

I do not care for the speckled eggs, but I have intentionally kept them in my breeding program because I know some people prefer them. I was not aware that speckled are the "standard". Right now I am hatching nothing but my darkest egg (from Robin's bird) trying to get at least one roo and a couple of hens. I have noticed a lower hatch rate in the dark eggs, they develop but quit late. I'm trying hatching at a higher temp based on advice M. Newman received from a Maran breeder. We'll see if that helps.

I agree, that bottom picture looks like my Barnie eggs. I hate how round the Barnie eggs can be sometimes though, I often have to candle just to see which end the air cell is on.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I do not care for the speckled eggs, but I have intentionally kept them in my breeding program because I know some people prefer them.  I was not aware that speckled are the "standard". Right now I am hatching nothing but my darkest egg (from Robin's bird) trying to get at least one roo and a couple of hens.  I have noticed a lower hatch rate in the dark eggs, they develop but quit late.  I'm trying hatching at a higher temp based on advice M. Newman received from a Maran breeder. We'll see if that helps.

I agree, that bottom picture looks like my Barnie eggs.  I hate how round the Barnie eggs can be sometimes though, I  often have to candle just to see which end the air cell is on.

 

I have that trouble too.

 

[Welsummer Champ]

One time, out of an order of 50, about 47 of them were hens. And they called that "Straight Run." It's like ,"Um, no."

 

[faykokoWV]

One time, out of an order of 50, about 47 of them were hens. And they called that "Straight Run." It's like ,"Um, no."

thats a handsome boy in your avatar!

 

[EweSheep]

I do not care for the speckled eggs, but I have intentionally kept them in my breeding program because I know some people prefer them. I was not aware that speckled are the "standard". Right now I am hatching nothing but my darkest egg (from Robin's bird) trying to get at least one roo and a couple of hens. I have noticed a lower hatch rate in the dark eggs, they develop but quit late. I'm trying hatching at a higher temp based on advice M. Newman received from a Maran breeder. We'll see if that helps.

I agree, that bottom picture looks like my Barnie eggs. I hate how round the Barnie eggs can be sometimes though, I often have to candle just to see which end the air cell is on.

Do you have any issues with fertility? If so, try trimming bums LOL!

I hope the son can cross over the existing hens and provide daughters that would produce a bit darker than their mommas. Get as many as you can so you can expect some losses from predators, or anything that would cause you to lose them from time to time. How many can you handle? A doz or up to two doz hens and three roosters sounds like a good combination.

Lets hope all of you would have a better incubation period. It's frustrating.

It would be nice to get a cabinet incubator!