The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[Wildflower_VA]

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Welcome to the wellie thread!

If you can wait a few months, I'll have more girls laying. Right now I only have 1 wellie hen laying. I'd be happy to send you some eggs.

If you want more info, or pictures, PM me.

I pack the eggs in bubble wrap and fill the box with peanuts, and people have been getting great hatches.

I'd really rather NOT wait a few months, but will if I have to. I just bought my place last summer and got in too late to do much but move in and get settled. I am not getting any younger, so I am anxious to get my flock off to a good start this spring. I am a 61-year- old, disabled woman, homesteading alone, so I really have to pace myself. It would be easier on me and my flock if they were at least half grown when winter hits.

 

[khrisilu]

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Once a hen starts crowing, it is bye bye time for her. Send her to a friend's farm! I had a beautiful two year old Aussie girl that decided one day to crow. Not happy about it and sent her back to my friend who took her back and she crowded her heart out. Silly girl!

Awww, that makes me sad. She is a loud little thing and that is the most horrendous sound I have ever heard. lol So don't want to give her up but also don't want that horrid sound in my backyard.

Thx for your insight. I'll see what I can do about switching her out. Hmmm, wouldn't mind having a little Buckeye hen...

 

[Wildflower_VA]

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Small world. The breeder in Scottsville, VA lives on the property owned by the estate of my brother's deceased in-laws. My brother has known him for years.

 

[NCSprout]

lol, gotta love how things work out.

 

[goacom]

Folks,
I'm new to chickens - in fact I don't have any as yet, but I am planning on getting some chicks within the next two weeks. I'm here because I'm looking into getting a pair or more of Welsummer chicks. I don't care too much about quantity of egg production. What I do care about is that I would like my chickens to be kid friendly and be able to take confinement well, mainly because we are at work during the week and because our unfenced backyard is full of potential predators. So my questions to all you Welsummer experts are as follows:
1) Are Welsummers as friendly/calm as claimed? I do intend to give them a lot of attention during their first four months (visiting family will give them company during the day).
2) Would they be able to handle weather extremes. I live in Texas and it can get pretty hot (100F) in the summers and it sometimes can go below freezing in the winters.
3) Can they take confinement well?
4) Can they defend themselves against Coyotes?
5) What is the consensus of Welsummers vs Marans. Why would one choose Marans over Welsummers?
(just kidding about #4)

Thanks everyone!

 

[All-American-Chick]

I was laughing so hard when I read the coyote part then I saw your ending.
Im new to wellies and look forward to answers to some of your questions.
Have some on order.


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[faykokoWV]

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Any breed can be friendly, I think its all comes down to breeding and attention. If handled a lot as chicks they are more likely to be people oriented. Mine are not "lap chickens"

don't know about the heat, but mine tolerate the cold weather here, you do need to watch combs and wattles for frostbite

Mine aren't really confined, so I'll let someone else tackle that

people may choose a maran over a welsummer due to the egg color being darker

 

[EweSheep]

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1. Never met a mean Welsummer yet! They are calm and friendly to me and I don't socialize with them much as chicks but they go for the treats.
2. I've had HOT and very cold weathers, they tolerated quite well. Having a shade out in the run helps alot along with fresh water available for them. Never lost one either.
3. I've got a 8 ft x 16 ft with 4 ft by 7 foot coop, they did pretty well. I have three Welsummers now along with 3 bantams, all fit in quite well. For cages as confinement, they tolerated when they were chicks but I don't think anyone wants "battery Welsummer hens". I never had to confine one in a cage yet except when I bought one pair of girls for a month, both of them did quite well but I would not advise that for a 24/7 confinement.
4. No they won't defend. They would literally throw their lives at the coyotes as a big neon sign "EAT ME!"

5. Most people I've heard from say their disposition and unique egg colors along with the "predictable Welsummer colors that you don't have as many problems as the Marans. However Marans do win the majority of votes, due to their uniqueness of colors and darker egg shell colors. Welsummers have a better egg production than Marans overall. I am speaking for the breeder Welsummers, not the hatchery kind.

 

[Happy Chooks]

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Welcome!

Mine are calm and friendly, but not lap chickens. They will eat out of my hand, but not wild about being picked up. It all depends on how you raise them though, if you handle them everyday, most chickens will be friendly. (I say most, cuz I had 1 buttercup that no matter how much she was handled, she's still a flighty, don't touch me kind of bird)

My weather here in Northern CA is more extreme than yours (minus the humidity) and they do fine. My welsummer rooster did get some frostbite on his comb this winter - we were much colder than usual.

I'd say it would depend on the degree of confinement. Small coop, cage, etc?

No chicken (not even a rooster) has a chance against a coyote, or most other predators.

I have both - the marans tend to be more bossy and mine are quite heavy, if that's a concern for your kids picking them up. One of my marans we call "the tank" because she's huge. Marans eggs are darker than wellies, but if the weather gets cold/rainy my marans quit laying. My wellies lay consistently, except during their molt.

 

[pinkchick]

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Welcome!

Mine are calm and friendly, but not lap chickens. They will eat out of my hand, but not wild about being picked up. It all depends on how you raise them though, if you handle them everyday, most chickens will be friendly. (I say most, cuz I had 1 buttercup that no matter how much she was handled, she's still a flighty, don't touch me kind of bird)

My weather here in Northern CA is more extreme than yours (minus the humidity) and they do fine. My welsummer rooster did get some frostbite on his comb this winter - we were much colder than usual.

I'd say it would depend on the degree of confinement. Small coop, cage, etc?

No chicken (not even a rooster) has a chance against a coyote, or most other predators.

I have both - the marans tend to be more bossy and mine are quite heavy, if that's a concern for your kids picking them up. One of my marans we call "the tank" because she's huge. Marans eggs are darker than wellies, but if the weather gets cold/rainy my marans quit laying. My wellies lay consistently, except during their molt.

I agree with everything that Fay, Ewesheep and Happy have stated. I also have both breeds and the Welsummers do lay more consistently than the Marans..hands down. My Wellies are friendly but like Happy Chooks stated they don't particularly care for being pick up but I can reach over and pet them if they are standing there and I don't have to give chase to catch them unless they are freeranging. My bird handle confiment to their coop and coop run just fine if I need to keep them that confined for a period of time. I have not experienced any issues with them during the heat or the cold weather....fact, the Wellies love the sprinkler during the summer and are the only breed that doesn't take off running like a bunch of sissies to the coop because they got a little wet.

Welcome to the Welsummer Thread!