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By "the book", I am guessing you mean the SOP. If there is anything you think needs to be changed or updated it is best to go through the breed club, but our committee also looks at recommendations by individuals. The undercolor should be slate. I think there is a lot more awareness of Wellies now, so it is normal that some of the description might be questioned. Maybe I am missing it, but I don't see where the feather shaft color is mentioned in the SOP Wellie description. If it is not mentioned I wonder where the Holland breeder came up with their info.
Walt
The Holland breeder suggested it, as the "trademark" of the breed and has been that way for years while we were breeding them without paying attention to the feather shaft colors, quill color, etc. and when it was brought up last year in the Yahoo forum and WCNA website, there was alot of ooooooh no's when we were finding faults in leg colors (too light instead of corn yellow), white down feathers instead of slate, partridge pattern popping up, five to six or seven points in combs and no one ever gave it a thought about the hen's combs which I personally believe that the hen does have some part in adding or substracting points on their future offsprings, or some combs are too beefy and points were too triangle-r in shape, or front of comb had alot of wrinkles or folds, making the comb look heavier in front of the nostrils. Once we can make that adjustment what the Welsummer SHOULD be like the better off we would be. White feathers popping up and feather stubs still persist even in the best lines and its our duty to keep culling, making those type of genes less frequent in future generations. Once we get there in consistency and no "wild cards", we can only hope it stays that way. I know the UK and US SOP are different, like our Orpingtons, and we should be able to stand out as well. Most of us are trying to stick with the origin they came from even they have been Americanized. So we have a long ways to go to clean up our mistakes and work with what we have and do the BEST we can in selecting one.
Breeders now are trying to outcross too much with a variety of lines that would compromise the future generations. You will be seeing alot more variation popping up now and then, weird colors, etc. and some breeder will hav etheir own trademarks that would stand out a bit, like the absence of penciling in the neck feathers, or more richer tone of reddish gold neck feathers, more red hue in the chest feathers. Or heavier black penciling in the neck feathers, very distracting to say at the least. Colors, type and conformation should be balanced.
I have not been too many poultry shows but we have been getting better judges for the 4Hers that are coming out more licensed APA/ABA judges rather than just a simple 4her.
It seems like there isn't very many Welsummers in shows...how would one go about promoting it? I don't get the Poultry Press anymore but whenever one of us mention a show, I would post it in the YAhoo and WCNA (website AND FB) of location and dates.
maybe starting at the 4-H/FFA level would be one way to expose people to the Welsummer chicken, you are right about not seeing many. Of course ours decided to start molting so the kids are not showing at the Portage WI poultry showing coming up towards the end of Sept, we are hoping to go and look around to see what it there.
