The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[Hens and Roos]

Here are a couple of updated pictures from the hatch we did mid Feb 2011 and had the chick that was a boy but was feathering in wrong. Thought I'd share what he(Boygle) looks like and his 2 siblings the same age. Shots taken today. Boygle is not staying and we aren't sure if the siblings will be either- I'm trying to make some room so that we can try and test mate the parents and see who is throwing the incorrect feathering.

Boygle: incorrect feathering

Cockeral with hopefully correct feathering:

Pullet:

Feedback is always welcome!

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Can someone recommend good books to read regarding breeding poultry to preserve the heritage breeds, especially the rare breeds? The more I read about white 'Welsummers' and lavender orps, the more I know I need to be proactive in preserving some of the breeds that could become extinct. Even though McMurray Hatchery advertises heritage breeds, they are really 'production models' of the real heritage breeds. That really turned me off to hatcheries. In another 10 years, they will probably be offering Black Australorps that are lime green with purple polka dots and lay yellow eggs.

 

[CANDLE98]

I just hatched out a Wellie with leg feathers! I am thinking that I crossed it with a BCM roo, so is it possible that I introduced leg feathering but with wellie coloring?

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
This explains why I have a chick with feathers on its legs. My wellies were from Shaw.

With ANY Welsummers, breeders or hatchery stock, cull out the feather stubbed chicks. Those are hard to breed out. The more you cull the out of the breeding program, as generations go by, we would see less and less stubs popping up. It does not mean their entire blood is inferior, its just the genetic makeup that we have to work on if you really want to keep them if you do know you got good birds. Same for oversized combs and wattles similar to the Andalusians, Leghorns, Mincorcas, which it pops up more in hatchery stock....that should be culled out as well.

For those who has PURE Barber lines, feather stubs does pop up. Just cull them out totally out of the Welsummer gene pool. No need to pollute it. I've got a beautiful Calicowood hen and she didn't have any feather stubs, nor her siblings did either. I do not know if Mr Shaw knew of this and he culled them out. I wished I kept some of his pictures on his website before he passed away.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
That's AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I was thinking about you and the hatch yesterday, just didn't have time to get in touch with you. Congratulations!!! Can't wait to see them!

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Hatcheries are very poor examples of trying to "preserve heritage breeds". Its a joke!

Honestly I do not know of any books regarding to this but what you can do is to say NO to other colors that are not accepted with the breed's origins. Sure, people may not like it but it has to have a start somewhere and once they start something like the White Welsummers, the breed is no longer pure or true to type. I know all breeds of animals have their origin but it takes so long to get there to get a real idea of what a Welsummer is all about.

*smoothing hackles from the back of my neck*

 

[vanalpaca]

We were only able to microchip the larger parrots. I'm thinking tattoos were only done minimally as well. As parrot breeders, we would use a steel band with our particular breeder ID on them and a number and we could choose different colored bands if we wanted easy visual for keeping families separate, etc.

According to Nate's advertising, his birds were from 2 pens, 1 pen was Channing Grisham/Hall cross and 1 pen was Barber.

Don't know HOW to get Hall birds or if he is still breeding them and selling stock?

One thing we learned in the parrot industry was that we had to be self regulated to get things done.

It certainly would be nice to know everyone that is breeding and selling Welsummer stock in the US and have them identify where they got their lines from.

Randy in Tennessee advertises that he has Grisham Stock. Haven't heard of him on BYC, though? I'm hoping that is where my 2 alabama chicks came from but they are definitely from uncertain origins as well!

At least I didn't buy my stock directly from a hatchery and I do have some Barber stock coming in and some Calicowoods stock that has been worked with and culled since 2004 so it is probably a pretty good strain.

My culled stock will be sold as laying hens and 'guard roos'. First they all have to grow up and feather out!

Anyone know the faults in the Ideal hatchery stock besides a blonde chick now and then?

Big thanks!

Bonnie

 

[EweSheep]

As far as I know Mr Hall is still raising Welsummers but in limited quality. He lives in VT, I believe.

 

[vanalpaca]

Ewesheep, you meant QUANTITY, right?

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Yes! Thank you for correcting me!