The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[katatonic123]

Early present
Thinking my wellie eggs were duds. I got two little bantams yesterday. Will double check wellie eggs tonight in the dark and see if I missed anything. May have to try again once I get my shed made over and have more space.

 

[katatonic123]

Eggtopsies show 2 didn't develop at all, 1 started but quit.

 

[microchick]

In all seriousness, I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't the reason Welsummers are considered a rare breed among breeders. I have been doing visual checks of egg fertility, using Welly eggs for morning breakfast fare and what I'm seeing with my 5 girl's eggs is that two out of three are not fertile. Of the laying Welsummer hens I have I only see the roosters tending two of them. I've seen a couple of the hens avoid the roosters and one actually chased and attacked my Lavender Orpington rooster when he tried to mount her. Not a ticket for propagation of a species.

Our Welsummer rooster does his end of the job. Yet I did not see one full blooded Welsummer chick hatch with my Buff O's first brood. We have possibly two Welsummer/BO cross roosters, one Welsummer/BO hen cross and one that's up for grabs right now as to which gender it is. I'm anxious to see how these cross breeds fare as far as fertility and reproduction is concerned.

Yet these five girls of ours lay 5 eggs every other day and 2 to 3 eggs. Yesterday one of them laid an egg that weighed in at 2.4 ounces. It was huge.

I hope you don't give up, Katatonic123. If nothing else, the eggs are worth the hassle.

 

[katatonic123]

I won't give up, just postpone. Even if I have to drive to Lebanon and pick up chicks and brood them myself!

 

[dheltzel]

In all seriousness, I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't the reason Welsummers are considered a rare breed among breeders. I have been doing visual checks of egg fertility, using Welly eggs for morning breakfast fare and what I'm seeing with my 5 girl's eggs is that two out of three are not fertile. Of the laying Welsummer hens I have I only see the roosters tending two of them. I've seen a couple of the hens avoid the roosters and one actually chased and attacked my Lavender Orpington rooster when he tried to mount her. Not a ticket for propagation of a species.

Our Welsummer rooster does his end of the job. Yet I did not see one full blooded Welsummer chick hatch with my Buff O's first brood. We have possibly two Welsummer/BO cross roosters, one Welsummer/BO hen cross and one that's up for grabs right now as to which gender it is. I'm anxious to see how these cross breeds fare as far as fertility and reproduction is concerned.

Yet these five girls of ours lay 5 eggs every other day and 2 to 3 eggs. Yesterday one of them laid an egg that weighed in at 2.4 ounces. It was huge.

I hope you don't give up, Katatonic123. If nothing else, the eggs are worth the hassle.

I feel your pain. My Welsummers were my favorite breed last year, but they just don't seem to thrive under my care like the other breeds I have. I suspect inbreeding because the Welbars I created from this same line of Welsummers (by a cross to a barred rock 3 years ago) are doing fine, they are bigger, stronger, lay better and hatch MUCH better than the purebred line of Welsummers I kept (not to mention 100% sexable at hatch like a Rhodebar/Legbar). So I'm switching over all my dark egg production to Welbars and will be selling my Welsummer flock before winter.

I will be looking for a more robust strain next year, or maybe buy some from 2 unrelated sources to see if I can create my own improved strain. I can't imagine being without Welsummers for long.

 

[jboisvert]

My Welsummer Roo is the most docile and sweet rooster anyone could ever ask for! He loves being fed from hand, and has never shown any aggression! I need to find a Welsummer hen locally so he can pass on his genes!

 

[dheltzel]

My Welsummer Roo is the most docile and sweet rooster anyone could ever ask for! He loves being fed from hand, and has never shown any aggression! I need to find a Welsummer hen locally so he can pass on his genes!

Every Welsummer roo I have is like that, and so pretty too. They are my "go to breed" when someone wants a flock protector roo that can be trusted around people.

 

[microchick]

My Welsummer Roo is the most docile and sweet rooster anyone could ever ask for! He loves being fed from hand, and has never shown any aggression! I need to find a Welsummer hen locally so he can pass on his genes!

How old is he? Mine were like that until they were a year old. Then it was a Dr Jeckyll Mr Hyde sort of change in them. I have two gorgeous roosters that I basically cannot turn my back on and definitely cannot have together as they gang up on other roosters if I do. I'm glad they are protective of the hens but there is a line that should not be crossed by any rooster.

I'm curious at this point as to how much of their behavior is genetic and how much is just their basic behavior.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Part of the morning routine is finding a partially shady spot for a short siesta...same spot everyday. But boy they put a lot of effort into finding that same spot everyday.

I like the bottom image better

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I feel your pain. My Welsummers were my favorite breed last year, but they just don't seem to thrive under my care like the other breeds I have. I suspect inbreeding because the Welbars I created from this same line of Welsummers (by a cross to a barred rock 3 years ago) are doing fine, they are bigger, stronger, lay better and hatch MUCH better than the purebred line of Welsummers I kept (not to mention 100% sexable at hatch like a Rhodebar/Legbar). So I'm switching over all my dark egg production to Welbars and will be selling my Welsummer flock before winter.

I will be looking for a more robust strain next year, or maybe buy some from 2 unrelated sources to see if I can create my own improved strain. I can't imagine being without Welsummers for long.

Hybrid Vigor