The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[bwalden]

I know what you mean 20736. I once attempted to read all the post from the beginning but looks like most of them are a lot of the same people chatting about a lot of things other than welsummers.

I also have welsummers. Mine are a little over 4 months old. I got my first egg on July 4th. I have ask questions to this thread and also found answers to questions about my welsummers. For example: I wondered how you tell a pullet from a roo chick. The answer told to me by another welsummer owner: The pullet chicks have eye makeup and the roo chicks do not. Once I got to looking at my chicks I noticed that 3 of mine did not have eye makeup and all the rest did. Turns out I ended up with 3 roos. The 3 with no eye makeup. I have also ask a few other question and people are usually pretty quick to give a reply. Overall it seems like a good thread to me. Good luck with your birds and enjoy.

 

[20736]

Thanks bwalden!
Actually, I am looking forward to reading and learning a lot about the breed.
Glad to be here.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Mine usually start around 24 weeks.

 

[hereorthere]

Speaking of eggs, does the egg size get larger as the hens get older and lays more? Or hens will always lay large eggs because they're large fowl type?

Just curious as I was advised to put oyster shell in my flocks' feed since they will be 12wks old in a few days. Also okay for roos to have oyster shell? No harm to them? I'm thinking bone issues since they don't lay....

How does one determine which roo to get rid of? I've got 5 to 10 hens. Am I looking at protective instinct? Because the one that I initially determined as an Alpha got kicked off that top rung since his tail feathers are slower to grow in, and it seems like he's being picked on (and he screams like a little piggie if I try to go near him anyways.) The new Alpha seems to have a possie of hens about him. And calls to them when I come....

Also white feather tips on roo's flight feathers? Normal? I keep looking at WCNA's pics of roos to compare my little guys (and maybe they are too young and haven't fully feathered yet)... but I also see some white striped feathers on only 1 roo on WCNA's page.

 

[Hens and Roos]

Speaking of eggs, does the egg size get larger as the hens get older and lays more? Or hens will always lay large eggs because they're large fowl type?

Just curious as I was advised to put oyster shell in my flocks' feed since they will be 12wks old in a few days. Also okay for roos to have oyster shell? No harm to them? I'm thinking bone issues since they don't lay....

How does one determine which roo to get rid of? I've got 5 to 10 hens. Am I looking at protective instinct? Because the one that I initially determined as an Alpha got kicked off that top rung since his tail feathers are slower to grow in, and it seems like he's being picked on (and he screams like a little piggie if I try to go near him anyways.) The new Alpha seems to have a possie of hens about him. And calls to them when I come....

Also white feather tips on roo's flight feathers? Normal? I keep looking at WCNA's pics of roos to compare my little guys (and maybe they are too young and haven't fully feathered yet)... but I also see some white striped feathers on only 1 roo on WCNA's page.

Welcome! I will try and help you with what I know.

The egg size will increase as the pullet gets better at laying- could take 30 days or so to go from pullet egg to bigger egg.

I do not add oyster shell until the girls start laying and then have it free choice in the pen(not mixed into the fee)so they will take as needed, we have had roosters in the same pen and they seem to self regulate.

As for which rooster to get rid of it depends on what you are after. Are you looking just for a flock protector or are you looking at breeding towards the Standard of Perfection(SOP). If you are just looking for a flock protector you can keep which ever rooster does the best job. If looking to breed to the SOP, then you will need to read the information and pick the best 2(having 1 for a back up) that come close to the SOP. If you post pictures here others will chime in and help you with who looks good.

The white feather is a no no in the adult birds, if it is in younger birds that are still molting out to adult feathers there is a possiblity of them molting out.

Hopefully others will chime in and give some more help.

 

[faykokoWV]

First thing.. Welcome to the group. don't feel like you need to read everything. Even if a question has been asked, the pro's on this thread don't care to answer it again (unlike some other threads

)

I would like to say be careful when you pick "the most protective" roo. Some times those are the ones that are going to protect the flock from you as well, which means getting flogged lol you don't want that!

I agree with the keep at least 2 roos, 3 if you can if you are planning on breeding. Nothing worse than having orders for eggs/chicks and loosing your roo (been there done that)

We love pictures! It is so helpful for us all when the experts critique a bird. It lets us all know what to look for and what to avoid in our own birds. the group is great about being nice when they do this, nothing gets personal, its all about improving the breed!!


edited to add : yes there are over 7000 posts, but this thread has been running since 2008

 

[hereorthere]

Hens and Roos & faykokoWV - thanks for your replies and advice; it's totally appreciated. From my new flock - there are 2 with white tipped feathers, a hen and a roo. They are both approaching 12wks old, so maybe these feathers will fall out in the near future. One can only hope. And yes, I'd like to breed and keep to the SOP. If can't breed these two, then for sure the one hen can still lay eggs.



Same roo - just a back view with the sun highlighting all his pretty colors! And those white tips are very distinctive!

 

[princessmalon]

here is an update on my "wellie". I posted a while back about this one...unsure if it was a hen or a roo.
To be honest, its 6 months now, and I still don't know. No egg and no crowing.

The colouring isn't hen-like...but thats what it was labeled as when I bought it at 3 months.
(first pic is a 5 months, second is currently)

 

[Kansaseq]

Looks like a roo

 

[stoopid]

Roo.