The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[snowbird]

The fluff is not desired, but not a reason to cull him from breeding. It can be bred out. Many breeds including Marans and Barnevelders have the tail fluff, you just want to work on it. No bird is perfect, there's always something to work on.

The tail fluff that is white is the tail coverts and we do not want to breed this forward in any of the males. If you use a male with the cottontail as a breeder you will never breed this FAULT out of your fowl. This certainly can be bred out and will explain how if anyone is interested.

 

[onawhimfarm]

Hello all! Just starting my welsummer flock and I was wondering what you all thought of my hen and rooster. They are 20 weeks old now. The rooster is a very well behaved roo and learning to be good to his girls. Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

Copper


Copper again


Hen

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: I know this has been discussed before on this thread, and I thought I understood it. But maybe not.

Is there a difference between minimal gray fluff, and cottontail? In my barnevelders, I hatched some with excessive amounts of fluff, and I culled them for it. (from other breeders to start my foundation flock)

 

[snowbird]

I know this has been discussed before on this thread, and I thought I understood it. But maybe not.

Is there a difference between minimal gray fluff, and cottontail? In my barnevelders, I hatched some with excessive amounts of fluff, and I culled them for it. (from other breeders to start my foundation flock)

When breeding to the SOP for show type fowl the light gray and the white tail coverts should be considered as faults and not used for breeder males. We discussed this in the past year. This is similiar to what I have found with the wheaten Marans fowl and breeding to the SOP. To get away from the light or white tail coverts we need to breed to darker undercolor breeders. This also will help with eliminating the white in wing and Tail. If need be at first you can double mate so you will have some good males and females.

I have done considerable test mating with the Wheaten Marans and have eliminated most of the unwanted white.

In the Welsummer males do not use for breeders unless they have darker colored Coverts.

 

[chicks4fun]

When breeding to the SOP for show type fowl the light gray and the white tail coverts should be considered as faults and not used for breeder males. To get away from the light or white tail coverts we need to breed to darker undercolor breeders. . If need be at first you can double mate so you will have some good males and females.

In the Welsummer males do not use for breeders unless they have darker colored Coverts.

Okay, please remember I am new to Welsummers.
I understand my guy's grey fluff is a bad thing, but I will keep him as he's a good rooster. BUT- - - is it possible that after he molts that this will go away? Or once it shows up that it will only get more prominent? Oddly the third photo on the wcna website under Cockerals/Roosters it shows a bird with colors like mine. They don't say anything about that photo, maybe it was to be a picture of what not to have

.
If I should want to breed I gather that most likely I will need a different Roo (or two). What lines should I look for? Are there lines known to not have white feathers? What other traits do I need to know about???
Also what is the "Coverts"?
And what do you mean that "If need be at first you can double mate so you will have some good males and females"?

Thanks

 

[snowbird]

Okay, please remember I am new to Welsummers.
I understand my guy's grey fluff is a bad thing, but I will keep him as he's a good rooster. BUT- - - is it possible that after he molts that this will go away? Or once it shows up that it will only get more prominent? Oddly the third photo on the wcna website under Cockerals/Roosters it shows a bird with colors like mine. They don't say anything about that photo, maybe it was to be a picture of what not to have

.
If I should want to breed I gather that most likely I will need a different Roo (or two). What lines should I look for? Are there lines known to not have white feathers? What other traits do I need to know about???
Also what is the "Coverts"?
And what do you mean that "If need be at first you can double mate so you will have some good males and females"?

Thanks

Will try and answer your questions. I have never seen the tail Coverts shed out and be dark when they are light colored. Most on BYC know very little about breeding to the APA SOp.

The genetic pool for the Welsummer is very small and you would do well to ask for lots of pictures before buying eggs or another male bird.

The tail Coverts are the small feathers that cover the base of the tail feathers, they are not very long. Catch your male and look where the light feathers are coming from that is the tail feather coverts

Double mating is where you would have a mating to produce males and another mating to produce female. Several of the different varieties do better if double mated.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

updated pic of my pullet on the right. she looks like a welsummer to me but am not expert.
fellow on the left is the cross

 

[chicks4fun]

Will try and answer your questions. I have never seen the tail Coverts shed out and be dark when they are light colored. Most on BYC know very little about breeding to the APA SOp.

The genetic pool for the Welsummer is very small and you would do well to ask for lots of pictures before buying eggs or another male bird.

The tail Coverts are the small feathers that cover the base of the tail feathers, they are not very long. Catch your male and look where the light feathers are coming from that is the tail feather coverts

Double mating is where you would have a mating to produce males and another mating to produce female. Several of the different varieties do better if double mated.

Thanks for the answers.

I am not completely sure I understand the double mating, or at least what it does. Is this done with the same parents? Is it to have chicks from different clutches for some reason? Do you just keep all males---breed and hatch again, and then keep all females? What does this do? It would still be the same gene pool.

I hope this isn't a really dumb question but I am unclear on the purpose of the double mating.

 

[dfdesigns]

I had some new OE pullets start laying, and I used some of my Welsummer pullet eggs for a picture comparison... I'm really happy with the pretty, speckled eggs my two Wellie girls are laying!

 

[janchilds]

I love the speckled eggs!!