The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[EweSheep]

Yes, I was aware of the excerpt that you quoted concerning the cockbird's breast color impacting the coloring of the hen. Our APA judges could do with a bit of more exact understanding of the Welsummer coloring, both for the male and the female. I once entered birds and put down "rusty brown" as color and was met with a lot of derisive comments from other exhibitors and one judge, even after I tried to explain why I did it; too often, people assume the coloring should be like a light brown leghorn. Both judges and breeders should study the SOP: the tail angle should now be 60 (sixty) degrees above the horizontal, which was reduced from the original 75 degrees when the breed was first accepted by the APA. This tail angle gives the breed a look that differs substantially from the American class breeds as well as most of the heavy British ones, whereas the German type resembles the RIR. Another issue is also the quality of the "peppering" on the hens, which sometimes tends to be too coarse almost bordering on penciling (though the very fine stippling of the light brown leghorn is not what we want in our Welsummers). I think your work with the breed is laudable. Take care.

I certainly hope the updated SOP will give better description of the colors and patterns of feathers and the angle of tail feathers. I've seen all types of Welsummers, some with a prominent U backs very similar to bantams and Leghorns, some with flat horizontal backs like RIRs and some would have between an slightly upright topline from shoulder to tailhead. I'm seeing some broken pencilling patterns in some of Ebay's Welsummers that I would recommend to avoid at all costs....its a cross somewhere. We should NOT use Light Brown or Dark Brown Leghorns as the real example of Welsummers' plumage colors. We want to stand out "differently" from those Brown Leghorns.

Some folks really like to keep the lines pure as in pure German or pure Dutch to maintain "purity" or certain lines to keep the SOP of origin
intact. Would we see a Dutch Welsummer vs German Welsummer vs British Welsummer? That would be a tough observation since many of our Welsummers have popped up different traits and conformation traits that it would be lost down the generations to come.

 

[maryhysong]

woot! Wellie eggs in the 'bator on day 7 and at least two or three have definite embryos jumping around in them. Very happy they were not all scrambled by the PO!

 

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Hmmm maybe I should look into finding hatching eggs instead. Off to look at DIY incubator tutorials!

 

[bigtom30648]

Hmmm maybe I should look into finding hatching eggs instead. Off to look at DIY incubator tutorials!

I did that back early this year and built one out of plywood, 40w x2 light bulbs, bi-medal thermostat and computer fan. First hatch in May did not do too well, had humidity too high and only had 20% hatch rate. Just hatched out another batch last week and got 60% this time. It can be habit forming.

 

[Rattie]

OK, this is best site EVER for teaching how to keep roosters under control so they don't have to end up in the stewpot!!! It makes perfect sense, and when my four month-old Welsummer Roo started doing the dragging-wing dance with me, I followed the directions and grabbed him right up and cuddled him. He mos def gets the message that humans are ALWAYS dominant over him!
http://shilala.homestead.com/roosters.html

 

[faykokoWV]

First egg of the current flock! these are 2nd generation for Nate Vanwey (pictures are on my website of both this year and previous generation birds) I don't care for the spots and I'm hoping to get some that are darker than this. Because this hen has a lot of positive attributes, I would still keep her for the breeding program. I took a picture of the egg on the online auction color chart so if you have one you can get a better idea of what the color looks like in person. I The oac741 look to be the best match on color in person.

 

[Sage2nv]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/slobstah/8191890959/" title="Chick under lightbulb by ArmanEghani, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8210/8191890959_5055e23c77.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Chick under lightbulb"></a>
Is this a Welsummer chick? My cousin gave it to me as a gift and said it is a welsummer and if it grows to a hen should lay a chocolate brown egg.

 

[Sage2nv]

 

[faykokoWV]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slobstah/8191890959/in/photostream

Is this a Welsummer chick? My cousin gave it to me as a gift and said it is a welsummer and if it grows to a hen should lay a chocolate brown egg.

hard to tell the breed from that picture. Welsummers lay more of a reddish brown (terracotta), marans are noted for laying chocolate brown.

 

[MrViskers]

is this a welsummer chick? i got it as a gift from a cousin who says it is a purebred welsummer and should lay chocolate brown eggs if it is a female.
sorry for repost just remembered my password for this account