The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[RareBreedFancier]

Quote:

My first and only shipped eggs were beautifly packed and looked great... till I candled them.

Air cells everywhere, some just little bubbles through the egg like they had been violently shaken. Had a few start developing early on, two grew for a while, one went into lockdown and it DIS.

I ABSOLUTLY blame the post office.

 

[EweSheep]

Yuck on those bubbled eggs!

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
The white fluff is on the tail coverts and there will never be anything to cover it as there is no feathers that cover the coverts. Most every Welsummer adult male I have seen pictured here and other sites have the white fluff and I believe it is the reason why most welsummers that win in a show are female welsummer.

Just thought maybe someone had some ideas on breeding to eliminate the white fluff in the coverts. This is a major fault for showing. Don

I honestly don't know if it is a major fault. I don't see anything on the SOP regarding to it unless it is talking about the "undercover" which it should be slate. I have no idea what an "undercover" is.

Judges here in the US are not too well informed on the proper color and critiqueria of the Welsummer which I think the APA should do a better job in explaining and defining the true Welsummer and have a UK judge or two to show the US judges the "proper" Welsummer color.

Maybe Royce would know because he does show his birds and maybe his feedback on the white fluff would clarify once and for all.

Ok folks, sorry about the delay but things have been pretty hectic around here lately and I just haven't been able to make time to reply. Thanks to Robin who sent me an email, I kept it and rather than go through several pages on here that I'm behind, I'm replying here now.

The "fluff" that is referred to in the SOP isn't speaking to the white fluff at the base of the roosters (and sometimes cockerels) tails that is exposed and in plain view but rather is referring to the fluffy feathering at the base of the feathers throughout the bird. This is not to be confused with the filoplumes.

The "undercolor" is referring to the overall color of the bird as the feathers are raised. This would include not only the color of the individual fluff on each feather but the overall general color of the "undercoat" given off which would include both the fluff and the filoplumes. Filoplumes for those who do not know are small individual "fluffy" type feathers that lay underneath or in between the regular feathers.

I hope that helps.

God Bless,

 

[fatbassetvineyards]

I hope someone can help me. I have 10 - 6 1/2 almost 7 month old pullets. I have only got 2 eggs total so far from them. My other pullets (several other breeds) had already started laying by this time. These are my first Welsummers, so I am not sure what to expect.

Thanks for your help.

Denise

 

[EweSheep]

Thank you Royce!

Denise, it takes a while for the Welsummers to "kick it in gear". She has a couple more months to go before she starts laying. No worries there!

 

[bwiechman]

I was having the same problem last fall with my birds. I checked and double checked all the basics: light, atmosphere, etc. I literally had 2 or 3 eggs total out of 12 hens in November. I tossed a golf ball in two or three of the nests and I had eggs daily in under a week. I didn't think that was at all necessary since these were mostly two year old ladies that had been laying all summer until molt. Maybe they forgot where to go? lol

Might work for you.

 

[pinkchick]

Hi Everyone! Hope all my Wellie friends are doing great as so are your birds. Wish I had more time to hang out on BYC...I'm missing it something bad!

Welcome to all the new peeps joining us here in the Wellie thread! AWESOME to have you!

Hi Royce! Good to see you pop in! Thanks for the 'splaining that!

 

[snowbird]

Quote:
I honestly don't know if it is a major fault. I don't see anything on the SOP regarding to it unless it is talking about the "undercover" which it should be slate. I have no idea what an "undercover" is.

Judges here in the US are not too well informed on the proper color and critiqueria of the Welsummer which I think the APA should do a better job in explaining and defining the true Welsummer and have a UK judge or two to show the US judges the "proper" Welsummer color.

Maybe Royce would know because he does show his birds and maybe his feedback on the white fluff would clarify once and for all.

Ok folks, sorry about the delay but things have been pretty hectic around here lately and I just haven't been able to make time to reply. Thanks to Robin who sent me an email, I kept it and rather than go through several pages on here that I'm behind, I'm replying here now.

The "fluff" that is referred to in the SOP isn't speaking to the white fluff at the base of the roosters (and sometimes cockerels) tails that is exposed and in plain view but rather is referring to the fluffy feathering at the base of the feathers throughout the bird. This is not to be confused with the filoplumes.

The "undercolor" is referring to the overall color of the bird as the feathers are raised. This would include not only the color of the individual fluff on each feather but the overall general color of the "undercoat" given off which would include both the fluff and the filoplumes. Filoplumes for those who do not know are small individual "fluffy" type feathers that lay underneath or in between the regular feathers.

I hope that helps.

God Bless,

With all this said, have you ever tried to breed out the white fluff on the bottom part of the tail coverts ? This is a fault and Males will be faulted for this in an APA show. I have done a little work on the fault and was looking for any info. any one might have on getting rid of the fault. Don

 

[EweSheep]

I would like to know who said "It's a fault." If there are any white in part of the feather plumage (not the "fluff"), they should be culled out or use as an egg layer if it is a pullet.

If you are talking about a fluff bum that is white, that IS a fault. The bird should not have any white feathers either. For the down feathers, I've seen a alot of US and UK Welsummers having that white, or off white to very light grey fluff (it is based on photographs).

 

[San]

Well it's lockdown time here, 5 eggs I am sure of, let's hope for some gorgeous wellies

.