The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[aart]

This is my first experience with the Welsummer Breed. My flock of birds are still little pullets. I'm finding that they are much quieter than my other birds.

My one Wellie hen is a bully and can be a screecher...not always screeching, but today she is on a bender and has been screeching all morning. They don't typically start the vocalizations until near and after POL.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Looks like I have lots to look forward too.

 

[microchick]

I just had to separate my two Welsummer roosters from the rest of the flock. The two brothers had formed an alliance, deposed the flock master, a very sweet natured BO and terrorized him to a point that he wouldn't come out of the coop. This morning I witnessed them both gang up on my 12+ pound Lavender Orpington, the larger of the two Welly roos starting the fight and his smaller brother joining in. The LO rooster put up a good fight, lost some feathers and eventually surrendered when the smaller rooster came at him also. Both Welly roosters have multiple scabs on their combs from recent battles.

I had two BO roosters that did this last summer and were subsequently culled from the flock when they tried to kill the Welsummer roosters.

Has anyone else ever seen this behavior in your Welsummer roosters or other roosters?

 

[aart]

I just had to separate my two Welsummer roosters from the rest of the flock. The two brothers had formed an alliance, deposed the flock master, a very sweet natured BO and terrorized him to a point that he wouldn't come out of the coop. This morning I witnessed them both gang up on my 12+ pound Lavender Orpington, the larger of the two Welly roos starting the fight and his smaller brother joining in. The LO rooster put up a good fight, lost some feathers and eventually surrendered when the smaller rooster came at him also. Both Welly roosters have multiple scabs on their combs from recent battles.

I had two BO roosters that did this last summer and were subsequently culled from the flock when they tried to kill the Welsummer roosters.

Has anyone else ever seen this behavior in your Welsummer roosters or other roosters?

Any breed can do that....multiple cock/erels can cause real chaos, that's why most folks keep them separated.
How old are these birds and how long have they lived together?

 

[ldawntaylor]

This journey of keeping chickens has taken another turn. I got 4 Welsummer chicks. Each picture below is of a different bird.





I know the pictures aren't the best quality but I would like opinions on these birds.

Thanks,

Lisa

 

[aart]

This journey of keeping chickens has taken another turn. I got 4 Welsummer chicks. Each picture below is of a different bird.



I know the pictures aren't the best quality but I would like opinions on these birds.

Opinions on what specifically?

 

[microchick]

Any breed can do that....multiple cock/erels can cause real chaos, that's why most folks keep them separated.
How old are these birds and how long have they lived together?

They were brooded together, at least the two Welsummer cockerels and the Buff O. I got the Lavender O three months after the original flock. All four of these boys were sexed to be pullets and guess what.....no eggs, plenty of crowing and lately, plenty of cock fights, sometimes directed at humans namely me. The Welly roos and Buff O turned a year in March. The LO is a year this month. Of the 4 roosters, the Buff O is the definite good guy of the group. He held them all at bay till this alliance was formed.

At the moment the only rooster with the hens is the Buff O. I had to pull the LO rooster this afternoon for aggressive behavior, also.

 

[ldawntaylor]

Opinions on what specifically?

Well, whatever strikes you or others about them. For all I know they may be quite average. Do they at least have the proper appearane for Welsummer chicks?

 

[aart]

Quote: They do appear to be Wellies....they are far, far, FAR too young to assess for SOP.
Where did you get them?

 

[ldawntaylor]

They do appear to be Wellies....they are far, far, FAR too young to assess for SOP.
Where did you get them?

I got them from a breeder a couple of hours away. He says he breeds to the APA standard. (If I'm even remembering the correct term). I'm sure I can find the info but I'll ask anyway...what is SOP. Somehow I doubt it means the same as what I'm familiar with (Standard Opperating Procedure). Oh yes, if you want to see the web site of the breeder it is muddyfeathersfarm.com .