The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[imtrying]

where can one get good quality, with focus on egg color, welsummer day olds?

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

I am very Interested in this breed. I'm debating between Welsummers, Wyandotte, and New Hampshire red!!! Help!!!

I may not be the best to help you, and coming to a breed page you will find some biases. I am just beginning a new flock. It is the first flock that I have had on my own as an adult. My grandparents loved Welsummers, so they were always around.

If you want a bird that can take very good care of itself (free range well), look grand in your yard, lay a generous amount of gorgeous eggs, and are highly affectionate; then you may want a Wellie.

I have found that the ones that lay the lighter eggs with the dark spots lay everyday. The hens with the very dark chocolate eggs lay one or two less a week. Either way they are a must have for me.


For the first time in my life I am keeping Wyandottes. They are a joy to have. All of mine are Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. I have found them to be very sweet birds towards my family and I. Towards other chickens, mine tend to be bossy. Anytime we have introduced anything new to the flock, the Wyandottes are the first to attack. I have a friend that has had similar issues and she has 3 types on her farm. Mine free range nicely. My friend's birds still want feed. All of our hens are very happy, love to sing, and do not mind being handled. The roosters are similar.




On to New Hampshires. There is a breeder that lives 15 minutes away from me that has kept this breed for over 60 years. Of course to him,there is no breed better. For some reason the one that I have is a little more skiddish than most of his. They lay very well, are a nice heavy breed, do not like to be handled as often, very curious, and despite the weight can fly well. The NH do not allow anything to pick on them either. I think that it is a perfect dual purpose breed. Maybe if you handle them more than I did while they are small you will have a friendlier bird.

Hope this helped.

 

[dheltzel]

Are your Welsummers friendly? Can they fly?

My Welsummers fly pretty well, I have them all confined, so I don't see them fly very high, but being generally lighter than the GNH's, I would think they could get higher, faster.

The Welsummers aren't skittish like a leghorn (or even Cream Legbars), though they aren't generally underfoot like the GNH, Rhodebars, and Ameraucanas. Generally, I find less difference between breeds and more dependence on how they are raised and treated. I've just started hand feeding fresh grass and dandelion (yeah, spring is here!) and now I'm pretty much every chicken's hero. Yesterday I had a Rhodebar jump onto my arm like a parrot to get a better vantage point for the greens. The way to a chicken's heart is through it's stomach, LOL.

 

[dheltzel]

where can one get good quality, with focus on egg color, welsummer day olds?

This can be tough depending on where you are located. It can take some work to find local breeders, or it might be as easy as searching your local Craigslist. If you're close to me, I can sell you some. I've had people drive over 3 hours each way to get chicks because good ones (not hatchery stock) are hard to find.

One place I know that is able to ship chicks is Whitmore Farm in Thurmont, MD. They are easy to find online, but are probably sold out for their spring hatch. You might be able to get on their waiting list for a fall hatch, if they are doing that this year. Like many places, they require a 25 chick order to ship, but they have other breeds and really good stock.

 

[Jdc361]

I may not be the best to help you, and coming to a breed page you will find some biases. I am just beginning a new flock. It is the first flock that I have had on my own as an adult. My grandparents loved Welsummers, so they were always around.

If you want a bird that can take very good care of itself (free range well), look grand in your yard, lay a generous amount of gorgeous eggs, and are highly affectionate; then you may want a Wellie.

I have found that the ones that lay the lighter eggs with the dark spots lay everyday. The hens with the very dark chocolate eggs lay one or two less a week. Either way they are a must have for me.


For the first time in my life I am keeping Wyandottes. They are a joy to have. All of mine are Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. I have found them to be very sweet birds towards my family and I. Towards other chickens, mine tend to be bossy. Anytime we have introduced anything new to the flock, the Wyandottes are the first to attack. I have a friend that has had similar issues and she has 3 types on her farm. Mine free range nicely. My friend's birds still want feed. All of our hens are very happy, love to sing, and do not mind being handled. The roosters are similar.




On to New Hampshires. There is a breeder that lives 15 minutes away from me that has kept this breed for over 60 years. Of course to him,there is no breed better. For some reason the one that I have is a little more skiddish than most of his. They lay very well, are a nice heavy breed, do not like to be handled as often, very curious, and despite the weight can fly well. The NH do not allow anything to pick on them either. I think that it is a perfect dual purpose breed. Maybe if you handle them more than I did while they are small you will have a friendlier bird.

Hope this helped.

Thanks so much! Looks like I'm getting a wellie

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Thanks so much! Looks like I'm getting a wellie

Congratulations!!! I hope to see pics soon. My new babies are due to hatch tomorrow.I cannot wait!

 

[MistyMountain]

My Wendy the Wellie has gone broody!! Fingers crossed she will hold tight and be a good momma!!

 

[TxChick77]

Wonder if anyone can help me determine the sex of my little nugget.
I ordered 2 female welsummers with a mix of other breeds, but this little guy or gal has me questioning that.
The top 3 of the questionable suspect. The bottom 3 is my female, Summer.

I noticed from the moment I opened the box from the hatchery his/her markings were not like the other wellie.
Of all 8 that I received, his wings are shorter than the group. His strip on his head is very blurred as well as his eye liner.

Thoughts?
TIA

 

[microchick]

I'm thinking it's a roo. My two roosters started out with pretty definite markings, strong V and eyeliner but it faded as they matured and when they feathered out, those chest feathers came in coal black with dark brown tips. Very pretty but it pretty well solved the mystery of are they or aren't they.

They were 3-4 weeks old when they started to get their chest feathers so you should know by then for sure. But my guess is a little boy. The little girls get light brown chest feathers when they start to feather out.

Welsummers, at least mine, like to keep you guessing sometimes.

 

[holm25]

My Welsummer roo is a daddy!! His beautiful "wife" is a gold laced EE!!