The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[outback hatcher]

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That is the only pic I have of him.. I'm sad to say that there probably will be no more because I let him out to roam and now he's disappeared it's been two days now and no sign:

 

[southpaw52]

What's your take on my roo? Also, will these hens ever, ever lay? They were supposed to be 4-5 months when we got them. That was late August. Am I just too impatient??

Thanks, and please don't be shy about telling it like it is. My feelings won't be hurt, I really want to know if they are worth breeding.
Anne

 

[lwarctic]

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Kim,

It looks like he has some respect for you now. He is so handsome!!!!!!

 

[Inkheart]

Hello All

I have some interest in Barnevelders and am finding that in the welsummer background might lay Welsummer genes? As far as overall friendly - hardy - docile chickens - which is better the Barnevelder or the Welsummer? After looking thru this thread - these birds are BEAUTIFUL! And being half dutch - well LOL
Thanks
Knox

 

[pinkchick]

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I love his eye color. He has one too many points but you can work on that by using hens that will compliment his comb. (ie....a hen with too few points crossed back to a roo with too many points or visa versa, a roo with to few points and hens with too many can give you offspring with good points but not always.
I can't really tell if he has any red in his chest, a very little red in the chest of the male helps improve the shafting and coloring in the female offspring. His colors look good too. I can't really see the pullets all that well, they still look pretty young in those photos.
Here's what I say....and it worth what it's worth........when your gals start laying do some test mating and hatches. Raise a few (couple roos, couple pullets) of those birds up and see how they mature, then decide if you want to breed these particular birds together or if you want to look for new girls or a new roo or perhaps you may find that you want to start all over again with hatching eggs, which sometimes happens.
FYI.....my monitor stinks for viewing photos.....so my opinion may be way off from someone elses and I apologize for that if it is. When I go in to town tomorrow I will look at him again from my cell phone and see if I still have the same outlook. Crazy how much clearer photo's are on my cell.

Hoping Ewesheep, Lensters, Chooks or Nate come by to give you their opinions as well.

 

[pinkchick]

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Ink~

Not sure I'm following you right but here's what I know about Barnevelders, I have had them since the beginning of this year and will be working with and breeding these birds next year. IMO Barnies are very sweet and friendly birds......more snuggly and cuddly than my Welsummers. The Wellies don't always appreciate being snuggled or picked up but they tolerate (mine anyway) me being in their space and doing with them what needs to be done and they are very inquistive around people and not shy. My Barnies on the other hand are under foot all of the time and some times tend to be more on the shy side. The Welsummers are better layers than the Barnies. The Wellies are a bigger bodied bird than the Barnies. Both are great foragers and do very well out free ranging. Both my Barnie and Wellie roos are great protectors of their girls.

It is known that Barnevelders here in the U.S. have been crossed with Welsummers some where along the lines to improve egg color, well in some cases it improved egg color but totally messed up the birds, thus several lines of "Barnevelders" being sold as pure Barnevelders are not pure and trust me they come out looking like Welsummer x Barnie birds. Unfortunately, when these birds were crossed, they were sold as pure to unknowing peeps that then in turn sold them as pure and there are alot of them out there. Pure Barnies are here and with a little research and effort they can be found and purchased, but it is buyer beware if a person doesn't do their homework.
Bantam Barnies are also available.

There are a handful of dedicated folks out there that are working diligently on these birds and keeping them pure, a few of them are right here on BYC.
Hope this helped.

edited to say: sorry for the spelling errors.....it's early and my spell check isn't working!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Southpaw.......I agree on the too many points on his comb, however, they are evenly spaced. His hackle feathers look a bit too golden, but that could just be the flash. Overall I think he looks good. He'll fill in more as he gets older.

Here's a picture of my roo at roughly the same age if it helps you any.

As for the girls, it's hard to see in the lighting of the picture, but from what I see they look good.

 

[Inkheart]

l


Ink~

Not sure I'm following you right but here's what I know about Barnevelders, I have had them since the beginning of this year and will be


Ok i should really read my posts before sending! i meant that i had read that the Barnevelder might be in the Welsummer background - sorry about that!

 

[pinkchick]

Thanks Les!!! Glad to see you here!

 

[pinkchick]

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Yes, Welsummers were created with Partridge Wyandotte, Partridge Cochin, Partridge Leghorn and later Barnevelders and RIR where added. I think around the turn of the 20th century a breeder took interest in them and they were refined to what we have now as they varied greatly in appearance prior to that.