The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[pinkchick]

Morning Everyone! Thanks!


Robin and Denna! Your birds are absolutely lovely!
edited to add: Welcome to the Welsummer thread to the new folks coming aboard! Just went back and looked at ALL of the beautiful photos and birds! They are great, Thanks for sharing them with us!

Robin~

I was going through my old hard drive and found the copy for the Wellie Standard for 1998 APA that has more information and details.

WELSUMMERS
American Poultry Association
1998 Edition

Named after the village of Welsum in Holland, this Dutch Breed has in its makeup such breeds as Partridge Cochin, Partridge Wyandotte and Partridge Leghorn: still later the Barnevelder and Rhode Island Red. It is noted particularly for its large brown egg, which remains its special feature, some eggs being mottled with brown spots. It has distinctive markings and color, and comes into the light breed catergory, although it has good body size. It enters the medium class in the country of its origin. Judges and breeders work to a standard that values indication of productivity so that laying merits can be combined with beauty. (Admitted to the SOP in 1991)

ECONOMIC QUALITIES

Good layers of dark brown eggs. Color of skin, yellow. A non-sitting fowl.
DISQUALIFICATIONS

White in the ear-lobes. (See General DQ's and Cutting for Defects.) Note: As the General DQ's and Cutting for Defects lists are extensive, please refer to the A.P.A. Standard of Perfection (SOP) for them.

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Cock 7 lbs Hen 6 lbs
Cockerel 6 lbs Pullet 5 lbs

SHAPE - MALE

COMB: Single, medium in size, firm and upright, free from any twists or folds around the nostrils, having five regular and distinct points, the back following closely but not touching the line of the skull and neck.
BEAK: Strong, short and deep.
FACE: Smooth, open, free from winkles.
WATTLES: Medium in size, fine texture and close together.
EAR LOBES: Small and almond shape.
HEAD: Symmetrical, well-balanced of fine quality, without coarseness.
NECK: Fairly long, slender at the top but finishing with abundant hackle.
BACK: Broad, long, sloping slightly to the tail.
TAIL: Fairly large, full, carried hight at an angle of 60 degrees above the horizontal.
WINGS: Long, carried close to the side.
BREAST: Full, well-rounded and broad.
BODY: Deep, broad, carried high, sloping slightly from front to rear.
FLUFF: Short and free from bagginess at the thighs.
LEGS: Set well apart when viewed from the front.
TOES: Four on each foot, long, straight and well-spread.
PLUMAGE: Tight, silky, waxy, free from excess coarseness and silky at the abdomen.


SHAPE - FEMALE

COMB: Single, similar to the male, only smaller.
BEAK: Medium and well-curved.
FACE: Smooth, open, free from wrinkles.
EYES: Large, full and prominent.
WATTLES: Medium in size, fine texture and close together.
EAR-LOBES: Small and almond shaped.
HEAD: Symmetrical, well-balanced of fine quality, without coarseness.
NECK: Fairly long, slender at the top but finishing with abundant hackle.
BACK: Broad, long, sloping slightly to the tail.
TAIL: Long, carried high at an angle of 60 degrees above the horizontal.
WINGS: Long, carried close to the side.
BREAST: Full, well-rounded and broad.
BODY: Deep, broad, carried high, sloping slightly from the front to the rear.
FLUFF: Short and free from bagginess at the thighs.
LEGS: Set well apart when viewed from the front.
TOES: Four on each foot, long, straight and well-spread.
PLUMAGE: Tight, silky, waxy, free from excess coarseness and silky at the abdomen.

COLOR -MALE

COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR-LOBES: Bright red.
BEAK: Dark horn shading to yellow at point.
EYES: Reddish bay.
HEAD: Rich golden brown.
NECK: Hackle, rich golden brown as uniform as possible, free from black striping. Some striping allowed in under-feathers. Front of neck, same as breast.
BACK: Bright reddish brown. Saddle, rich golden brown as uniform as possible, free from black striping, some striping allowed in under-feathers. Sickles, lustrous, greenish black. Upper coverts, black. Lower coverts, black edged with brown.
WINGS: Shoulder front and bows, bright reddish brown. Coverts, lustrous, greenish black forming a wing bar when the wing is folded. A little brown peppering is permissible. Primaries, upper web. black; lower web, brown. Secondaries, upper web, black with brown peppering; lower web, brown.
BREAST: Black with red mottling.
BODY/FLUFF: Black and red-mottled.
LEGS/TOES: Thighs, black with red mottling. Shanks and toes, yellow.
UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate

COLOR -FEMALE

COMB, WATTLES AND EAR-LOBES: Bright red.
BEAK: Dark horn shading to yellow at point.
EYES: Reddish bay.
HEAD: Golden brown.
NECK: Hackle, golden brown or copper, the lower feathers with black striping and golden shaft. Front of neck, same as breast.
BACK: Reddish brown, each feather stippled with black and having a distinct lighter shaft.
TAIL: Main tail, black. Coverts, black, edged with brown.
WINGS: Bows, same as back. Coverts, chesnut brown.
Primaries, upper web, black; lower web, brown. Secondaries, upper web, black, slightly peppered with brown; lower web, brown, coarsely stippled with black.
BREAST: Rich, chesnut red going well down.
BODY/FLUFF: Brown with gray shading.
LEGS/TOES: Thighs, same as breast. Shanks and toes, yellow.
UNDERCOLOR IN ALL SECTIONS: Slate.



Sorry not edited for spelling or punctuation errors.

 

[EweSheep]

Nate, this is the CW hen I wanted daughters out of her.......poor girl, she is looking much better now.

I love her body, her expression, her color, and her disposition and great egg laying capabilities. Lays dark smooth eggs without any speckles or very very tiny speckles.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Thanks I will update it when I have the time! And add your egg picture too!

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
Thanks I will update it when I have the time! And add your egg picture too!

So is this information the same as what is in the 2001 SOP?
Also when they talk about the angle the tail is carried does this include the sickle feathers?

 

[EweSheep]

No, sickle feathers does not qualify. Its the tail carriage, how the bird present itself how he carries his tail.

You definately do not want squirrel tails or wry tails, that is common in certain breeds, affected more than others. I've seen a few Welsummers with squirrel tails and it makes them look like an OE or someone taking a hedge trimmer to it! It is preferred to have 60 degrees on roos but not much higher than that. Welsummer hens must have a 50 degree tail above horizontal is preferred. HOWEVER, the degree numbers are on the extreme side but acceptable in the 10 degree differences on both sexes. Birds with wry tails should not be bred, culled out of the breeding flock, it is hereditary.

Knocked knees are common in Welsummers so we have to breed more carefully. Bowed legs are not as common but it can be found. Legs should not be that wide apart (as the UK standard mentioned about the US standards, the legs should set normal as possible. Too wide of legs makes them look like Indian Games. Deep yellow is preferred, any other color is not acceptable. However for older hens like my CW hen, pictured above, they would become pale. That is a normal trait for laying hens.

I've noticed webbings on certain Welsummers, so it is a fault. It may be hereditary.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Do you have a picture of a wry tail? I'm a visual person.

 

[EweSheep]

Let me go and find one as an example of a "crooked tail" or a tail leaning to the side permantely like if it was broken but it is not broken. It is genetic.

 

[EweSheep]

This is not a good picture but this Spitz pullet has a wry tail, the tail that leans to one side permantely. The pullet behind her in the back has a deformity, crooked back......all of them were culled. The roo was beautiful but too much of a Polish head than mohawk. PMed you of the breeder's name.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Quote:
So is the wry tail that way all the time or are they able to straighten it out?

 

[EweSheep]

Its permanently crooked. Never can be straightened out.