The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[Hillbilly Hen]

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My youngest three are 20 weeks old today. Two have very red combs and wattles and the third does not. One of the ones with red wattles disappeared last week but she was back at the coop the next morning. A few days later she vanished again but this time she was not back the next morning. The second morning my DH said he saw her by our van, he knew it was her because I had not let the others out yet. So I went looking for her but she got spooked and flew toward our giant brush pile in the woods. I have looked everyday since and I still have not found her. It has been three days since I last saw her. Anyway I was wondering if she may have started laying and gone broody at the same time. Has anyone heard of this happening? I know I am taking a chance in letting them free range.

 

[EweSheep]

It is possible she might be broody. If she kept coming back, you would know she went somewhere to lay her eggs.

 

[Hozer]

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I got some chicks from Whitmore Farms and am very happy with the results. Will was very nice to deal with. Remember...minimum 25 and plan on half roosters.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Well, I sure hope I see her in three weeks. I just never heard of a hen going broody right away. I don't even know for sure if she had even started to lay yet

I will continue looking for her though.

 

[Happy Chooks]

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I really hope she comes back for you.

 

[Tailfeathers]

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I can't speak to the Banties because I only breed and show the LF. Having said that, up until recently I would have said it was the age. However, I got some Buckeyes this year (sired by the Brother and the Father of the Buckeye National Champion in OH this past year) and ever since they were a day old they have absolutely amazed me. Most of you are familiar with the way chicks will just scatter anytime you put your hand in the brooder to fill the feeder or waterer. Well, these chicks (3 guys & 3 gals) have always come running right over to my hand and they stand there waiting to be petted. They are now two months old and in a chick house outside for the past month and a half, and they still come running to the door when I open it and stand there to be petted.

From what I've read on the Buckeye thread, this is fairly common behavior in Buckeyes. That being the case, I would have to be inclined to believe that the breed - or at least the strain - has something to do with it. Of course, most of us all know the difference in flightiness between a leghorn that goes nuts trying to kill itself if you just walk past the cage and a Welsummer.

God Bless,

 

[IggiMom]

Quote:
I can't speak to the Banties because I only breed and show the LF. Having said that, up until recently I would have said it was the age. However, I got some Buckeyes this year (sired by the Brother and the Father of the Buckeye National Champion in OH this past year) and ever since they were a day old they have absolutely amazed me. Most of you are familiar with the way chicks will just scatter anytime you put your hand in the brooder to fill the feeder or waterer. Well, these chicks (3 guys & 3 gals) have always come running right over to my hand and they stand there waiting to be petted. They are now two months old and in a chick house outside for the past month and a half, and they still come running to the door when I open it and stand there to be petted.

From what I've read on the Buckeye thread, this is fairly common behavior in Buckeyes. That being the case, I would have to be inclined to believe that the breed - or at least the strain - has something to do with it. Of course, most of us all know the difference in flightiness between a leghorn that goes nuts trying to kill itself if you just walk past the cage and a Welsummer.

God Bless,

Yes, the breed, or the strain within a breed, seems to me to make a big difference.

I have some Golden Comets, young birds not laying yet, which I got to increase my percentage of eggs within the flock. I cannot keep up with the demand for my eggs, and I do give the Wellsummers some credit for this, because people just love those dark eggs.

However, the Comets lay very well by all accounts, and I will have some more eggs. But anyway, those little Comets are the friendliest chickens I have ever had, except for the Black Tailed Jap banties. They like to be petted and sit on my lap! But I'll bet not all of them are like that.

I like having a rainbow basket of eggs.

The Wellies are very calm, nice birds. They do not seem to particularly want to be petted, which is fine. I especially like the rooster, who is not aggressive, and will let the hens eat without jumping on them.

Catherine

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I put a dozen Welsummer eggs into lockdown yesterday morning, but since I don't have a very good candler, I have no idea what to expect...there weren't any stinkers, so I just put them all into the hatcher...

 

[IggiMom]

You know, I think too much candling is bad for eggs. So you are probably just as well off! Do tell how it goes.

Catherine

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Ok, so here's how my hatch went....

and

one. I got one chick. And even that one I did a big fat no no and helped it to hatch (i.e. took the top of the egg off and it took itself out the rest of the way). It's in the brooder now with some bantam ameraucanas and faverolles, so far so good. Note that it was due the 20th and I helped it on the 22nd. It was the only chirping egg. I opened the rest tonight, there was 1 chick that quit about day 17 ish, and the rest had scrambled yolks! USPS strikes again.

****sigh****

Anyway, I have some more eggs coming from JamesA, to ship Wednesday I think, so YAY! I suppose it's just as well that I don't have a dozen wellies right now anyway, since I just put 38 eggs into the hatcher!

This will be my biggest hatch if all goes well!