The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[liz72703]

My welsummer April is still not laying. She is 30 weeks

Are you certain she's 30 weeks? Her waddles/comb don't look like she's that old...

 

[Tatiana110]

My welsummer April is still not laying. She is 30 weeks

maybe the time of the year - they slow down or stop laying when days get shorter and cooler. Perhaps she was ready to lay and then the days got too short to support egg laying. People say it requires 14 hours of daylight for hen to continue laying. I personally find that some of our breeds (including Welsummer) continue to lay now (but much less), when days are only 12 hours. I let them out at 7 am, and lock them up at 6:30 pm at this time of the year.

I also find that late spring hatches are not the best, as they are ready to lay in the fall, and therefore halt until spring.

We had the best luck with layers when they hatch from September to early March. There is plenty of nice weather with long days for them to start laying well and continue throughout the fall, unless they molt.

 

[Tatiana110]

oops, forgot to mention in my previous post that our Welsummers hatched on Christmas day started laying at 21 and 24 weeks. One got broody at 6.5 months, when she finished, she started molting, and still not laying eggs. The other one has not been broody, and keeps laying abojut 4 eggs/week now, she slowed down from 5-6 eggs/wk.

 

[aart]

My Wellie girl started at 23 weeks, then did a full molt at 9 months.... not laying for 2-3 months.

 

[7littlegirls]

this is an old photo. I will try to get a new photo to post!

 

[7littlegirls]

I got my new girls on April 4th. Out of the 4 chicks she is the only one that had some wing feathers and starting tail feathers so I figured she would be a week older. I just took these photos.

 

[microchick]

Our oldest Welsummer hens are 7 months old on the 25th of this month. The youngest are 20 weeks. For a while we were getting two pretty speckled eggs a day from them but that has dropped off to one the last couple of weeks. The 7 Buff O girls are giving us 4-7 eggs a day. I'm blaming the shorter days. We have a light in the coop that comes on at 5 and goes off at 7:30. They usually get locked up around 6:30. One thing I've noticed is that the eggs from the Wellies are much larger than the Buff's. The oldest Buff started laying at 19 weeks and the Welsummer girls started at about 22 weeks. I was hoping that they would all be laying by winter but, oh well....there is always next spring!

 

[Lums]

Got to be some reason more folks don't have Welsummers. Can't find a breeder around Alabama or adjoining states.
Bad layers in winter? Easy to get sick?
Hard to keep up? Trying to find out what before I get some.
Anyone selling them ready to turn loose? Don't want chicks, especially from anyone but a breeder since I want the dark, spotted eggs like a Maran, but more of them, larger too.
Any help appreciated.
205-681-9245 to speak to me and give welcomed advice. John

 

[Lilyput]

I have a welsummer pullet 6 months old, not laying yet, but comb reddening up. She flew up on my back the other day, pecked at me another day, and now pecked at me this morning. Is she being very friendly or just nasty? She gets along okay with five other hens I have, seems high in the hierarchy. If you think she's nasty rather than friendly, what should I do. I have been chasing her off. They have a nice coop for safety at night and free range during the day, so it's not stressful living conditions. Thanks. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[aart]

I have a welsummer pullet 6 months old, not laying yet, but comb reddening up. She flew up on my back the other day, pecked at me another day, and now pecked at me this morning. Is she being very friendly or just nasty? She gets along okay with five other hens I have, seems high in the hierarchy. If you think she's nasty rather than friendly, what should I do. I have been chasing her off. They have a nice coop for safety at night and free range during the day, so it's not stressful living conditions. Thanks. Any advice would be appreciated.

If you have no cock/erel she may be acting as flock lead/protector.
Either way human aggression should be curbed asap.
Do not tolerate her jumping on you.
If she pecks, 'peck' her back, tapping sharply with the tips of a couple fingers on her head.
....and/or....put your hand firmly on her back and hold her down to the ground until she 'submits'.