The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[crowcreek]

Hello there,
I have an opportunity to get some welsummer chicks mid May. Everything I read about them is wonderful, the only negative I have read in a. Purple places says that they love an average of nine years but only lay for three. Is this true or do they just mean they slow down at age three.
What experiences have you all had?

 

[Johnn]

 

[bwalden]

Hello there,
I have an opportunity to get some welsummer chicks mid May. Everything I read about them is wonderful, the only negative I have read in a. Purple places says that they love an average of nine years but only lay for three. Is this true or do they just mean they slow down at age three.
What experiences have you all had?

Well I've never kept any for 9 years to know their full life expectancy. I will say I've had some in the past I've kept for 5-6 years and they laid as well at 5-6 as they did at year 2-3. I've only had my current line of birds about 3 years so hard to say what will be, but I think going into chickens we all know that a hen will lay a certain amount of eggs in her lifetime. I'm hatching and adding new birds to my flock all the time and culling every year so unless I had just 5-6 hens I don't think I could ever keep up with who's laying what.

 

[crowcreek]

Thank you so much. This is helpful. I had not known much about the breed but after reading a lot about them I am very excited to get some.

 

[ronniewayne]

hey Brian i just wanted to let you know the eggs i got from you hatched the welsummers hatched 22 of the origional 36 with 28 makeing it to lockdown .. the marans hatched 18 of 24 with 18 makeing it to lockdown.. although 2 marans died and 2 welsummers died they are now a week old and doing great. the marans were the most vigorous hatched 1st and are running everywhere the welsummers though are feathering a bit faster and i hatched some reds with them and the reds are growing faster. i am pleased and the eggs were really dark . thanks
Ronnie

 

[bwalden]

hey Brian   i just wanted to let you know the eggs i got from you hatched the welsummers hatched 22 of the origional 36 with 28 makeing it to lockdown .. the marans hatched 18 of 24 with 18 makeing it to lockdown.. although 2 marans died and 2 welsummers died they are now a week old and doing great.  the marans were the most vigorous hatched 1st and are running everywhere  the welsummers though are feathering a bit faster and i hatched some reds with them and the reds are growing faster.  i am pleased and the eggs were really dark . thanks
Ronnie

Hey Ronnie! That's great! Glad you have had a pretty good hatch and are happy with them. Thanks for the update.

 

[Johnn]

 

[IrishAcreFarm]

Beautiful pic!

 

[Johnn]

Beautiful pic!

Thanks. Just wish I got closer so it would be clear!

 

[Johnn]

Thanks. Just wish I got closer so it would be clear!

Well not clear, better quality.