Welsummer fertility/hatchability ??

[maureen9962]

I have had poor luck with my Welsummer eggs. When I speak about it to other local people I generally hear , "Oh well, that's a Welsummer". Has anyone else out there heard about low fertility in this breed? All my other hens seem average but these guys are really poor. All are the same age and exposed to the same roo.

 

[Joey8765]

Maybe they're not mating with the roo

 

[maureen9962]

Actually I should have mentioned that in the first post. The Welsummers are his favorites. We are talking bareback. Makes it even more puzzling to me.

 

[lauralou]

I've hatched quite a few Welsummer eggs, from 3 different sources, and had excellent hatch rates. I just had 8 Wellie chicks hatch out of 9 eggs. So only one dud. It's possible that egg might have hatched if I'd given it more time. I'm pretty quick to toss the last unpipped egg once I feel the hatch is complete. Those were eggs from my own hens, not shipped. I've had good hatches from shipped eggs too.

I don't think it's true that Welsummers are hard to hatch as a breed in general.

 

[smchickfarm]

I just hatched 4 out of 8 welsummer's about 3 wks ago. I have 8 welsummer eggs in the incubator right now (day 19) HOWEVER, I do not have a good feeling about this bunch!

 

[maureen9962]

Would 50% be considered good? I have had nearly 100% from Australorps and Amercaunas. Maybe I have my hopes up too high. The Welsummers (same flock no shipped eggs) are at maybe 20%. This is my first year hatching too. All I have is a HovaBator Genesis. I really wanted the Welsummers.