The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[EweSheep]

It is a real blessing if you have a nearby breeder that KNOWS about the breed and it is worthwhile to listen to. If I didn't have any, I would be paddling up in the creek without an oar! Or have to start all over again because of the major, major DQ in the Welsummer. I certainly would not like it but if that is all I have to work with, it will set me back a bit. If it is going to be alot, better scratch that flock out and start all over again.

I agree with alot of you in here that we must be patient when our Welsummers are maturing. Around 8 months and older, you can get an idea what the roo is going to look like. About a year old to two years old, you will get what you see.

Some breeders prefer the solid black (like the BBReds) and others prefer mottlings. A roo with almost solid red bay breast would look rather odd but not sure if it would help the daughters more than the sons chest colors.

If I can break down the Welsummer lines by breeders like they did for the Buckeyes where they got their stock from, it might help a bit. For example as in my stock:

Robin Geiger, LF Welsummers-Calicowoods/Lowell Barber lines and BF Welsummers-German (pullets) and Netherland (Amistead sp?) rooster. There will be some LF/BF cross chicks in limited supply for my own project to "darken" the eggs until we get new imported lines from Netherlands from one gentleman hopefully next year.

 

[pinkchick]

I changed the thread title cuz it was time and I had a spelling error. LOL!



MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!!

 

[EweSheep]

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[Tailfeathers]

LauraLou, you're welcome. Hope that helped.

Robin, while some breeders may prefer a solid black chest we need to be sure to mention that the Standard calls for a mottled breast. Also, those who do not keep mottling in the breast will see problems arise with the shafting in the females as I mentioned previously.

I have not found anything yet as to what the black correlates to however, logically speaking it would seem to me that if the red mottling enhances the shafting color in females, then the lack of black in the brest must also have a correlation of some kind as well.

As for how long to keep a male around, I don't keep mine any longer than I have to. In fact, I'm going outside in about 5 minutes to butcher 10-12 today. There are certain things that just aren't going to change and many who have read my posts know that I believe in culling hard and culling often. In my mind, for me personally, there is no reason to keep a bird around that serves know functional purpose - breeding or showing for example.

God Bless,

 

[Happy Chooks]

Is it too late to share pics? I'm new to the Welsummer breed, and so far I absolutely love them. (I'm going to share my pics anywau

)

So, here's my babies I hatched from Bargain's stock.

Moose, my cockeral the day after he hatched.

Moose with the 2 girls I hatched. (you can ignore the BR in the pic)

And now......

Moose, at 7 weeks of age.

Feisty

Cleopatra

 

[lauralou]

It's never too late to share pics!

Are those the only 3 you had hatch from bargain's eggs? If so, you were very lucky to get 2 girls and a boy!

I had 9 hatch from her eggs, but I got 3 girls and 6 boys.

I culled 2 boys very early. Then I spent Christmas Eve out in that pen, trying to make some decisions on the remaining four. I narrowed it down to two that I want to keep a while longer. They'll be 14 weeks old tomorrow, so I figure it's time to go ahead and cull two more, before their hormones surge.

Here are the two finalists, hanging out under the coop with one of the pullets.

I have another set from a different source that are a few weeks younger. It's amazing the difference that a few weeks can make! The three little boys in that pen still look like babies to me. I wouldn't dare get rid of any of them yet. But I "only" have the 3 of them to go with 7 pullets and 2 adult hens, so it doesn't seem that I'm overrun with boys in there. (Yet.)

Here's shot of that bunch, eating the leavings of the pumpkin that I made our Christmas pies from.

 

[SunnyDawn]

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More pics!!! I love looking at your pics of your birds!

 

[lauralou]

I love looking at pics of everybody's birds, too. And if you meant my birds in particular, then I'm incredibly flattered!

Unfortunately, it was a terrible day for picture taking, what with the low angle of the winter sun and the glare off all the snow. I only got a few that were passable.

Here are some of the older babies and their "momma".

And a pic of the chest mottling on one of the older boys. (I think I like this picture because Tough Cookie is about to climb up my husband's leg looking for treats. She's a shameless begger!)

One of the younger boys.

Look at that tiny tail! Sorta sad. I know he'll start looking manly soon.

 

[SunnyDawn]

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So cute! Your BR sounds like one of mine, we call her Obby (short for obnoxious). I don't know why she is sooo loud we have a few BRs and the others are perfect ladies!

 

[pinkchick]

Came home Saturday evening to find 3 hens and 1 roo mangled to death and one very badly injured hen in my laying flock that I had to cull.

This is the second time my Welsummers have been taken due to predators. I now have only one pullet and 1 roo. We suspect something very large due to the damage inflicted to the fencing. What ever it was it did not carry the birds off, just killed them and left them. I'm guessing a neighbors dog as it was here twice this year and both times I found it near a dead mangled chicken. I cannot prove this yet, we will be setting up a surveillance camera this week on the coops. I Found my remaining roo and pullet in the very top of the coop absolutely frantic. Spent yesterday doing damage control and reinforcing security. Weird that it only went after one chicken in the laying flock, maybe something scared it off before it could do more damage.
I'm absolutely crushed. Just after I downsized and sent my remaining oldest hens to freezer camp. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!