Welsummers and Lowell Barber **Updated Pics of Chicks**

[CountryMom]

Ok, here are the chicks I picked up last week. They are feathering out nicely. I ended up picking up an extra she had. Unfortunately we haven't had time to play with them much until now because of a crazy schedule. Also including a pic of one of the Welsummers I hatched from a BYC poultrylady in December from a nice dark egg. Not sure how soon I can tell if we have hens or roos??? I was thinking the older one was a hen, but still not sure...

 

[EweSheep]

I see a few pullets there in the box however I could be wrong LOL!

The bottom pic looks like a roo but it could be a pullet....its the colors that threw me off because it was not clearly defined like a pullet.

 

[CountryMom]

See I have been going back and forth about the oldest one! My son so wants to have his own mini flock of these guys and especially a nice roo. Right now he shares my Speckled Sussex Roo with me, but wants his own. LOLOL

I sure hope some of the babies are pullets. I think the one in the bottom right corner is getting very red in the comb quickly. Maybe rooish? LOL Only time will tell. I am just not experienced enough with this breed to know.

Thanks!

 

[skeeter9]

Yep, that older one sure looks like a roo, but they have been known to fool us!! LOL

Nice chicks. I hope you get the quality you wanted from them. There aren't many roos prettier than a nice Wellie!!!

 

[CountryMom]

I'll be sure to update in a couple of months and ask you all for help on sexing and quality. Until I get experience I won't know. For now I am thrilled to just have them!

 

[OcoeeG]

My DGF and I picked up 11 chicks from PoultryLady about 4 weeks ago and they are doing well. She has done well breeding for egg color, the eggs we saw while there were beautiful. I think we got lucky, we are thinking we got 7 to 8 pullets out of the 11. Keeping our fingers crossed. I am sold on breeding stock, why buy anything else unless you are doing meat birds? By buying from the breeder you are helping out the little guy and many times buying locally from a local breeder, everyone comes out ahead. Except the hatcheries.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Hi,

Glad to see your chicks are making it. I just wanted to let you know that you can sex Welsummers by their headcap with almost certainty. The pic you have of the six is to hard to see their headcaps for me to tell. But the lower pic of the single chick is most certainly a cockerel. Not only is he getting his comb but he appears to be getting some of his bluish-black feathers in on the wings.

I am going down to my original breeder tomorrow to pick up some Barnevelder chicks and while I'm there I'm bringing back some more of his Welsummer chicks too. I've still got a couple of hatchery birds left (about 4 out of 48) but I'm getting rid of them too I think. Even though they are laying a gorgeous egg, I think I'm going to keep just the stock that I know for certain what their lineage is.

As with my Ameraucanas, I have gotten my Welsummers from good lineage as well. I got my original start in Welsummers from a Welsummer Breeder. He is the one I'm getting some more Welsummers and some Barnevelders from him tomorrow. He, Lowell Barber (deceased), another breeder, Horst Greczmiel (deceased) and another guy were the folks that got the Welsummers accepted by the APA in 1993 in Vancouver, WA.

Those five also got the Barnevelders accepted by the APA at the same time. I also plan to get a few birds from the other Welsummer/Barnie breeder soon. The Welsummers that he had from the original line he brought over from Wales and the Netherlands was wiped out by coons. However, I have no doubt that he’s still got some great birds. My current source breeder brought his birds over from Germany and also got some from Horst who lived in Vancouver, BC.

I have also talked with the lady who was mentored by Lowell Barber and bought his entire line of Welsummers when he got rid of them. To be honest, I'm not sure if she's on BYC or not. I should ask her the next time we talk. I also don't know if she sells any eggs or chicks but I can find out if anyone is interested. She's on the East Coast and I'm on the West, so for now I am sticking with the two I have.

But then, come to think of it, I should see if she'd send me some hatching eggs. That couldn't hurt to put some in with mine. Think I'll go do that now. Thanks for helping me think of that!

Before I go, if you want to send me some pics of your chicks headcaps, I will reply and let you know what I think you've got for males and females. Send pics to my personal email.

God Bless,

 

[yotetrapper]

The three in the back row...pullets. Two on the right, roos. One in the foreground, no idea, lol. Older one is looking rooish.

My best guesses lol.

 

[CountryMom]

Tail, good to hear you are getting some good stock in.

Just to update everyone since it has been a month since I posted these pictures. The older one in the bottom picture is for sure a roo. He is very very sweet. The others are split even three pullets three roos. All growing quickly and all very tame. We left for two weeks and they were all so happy to see us. Mind you they were taken care of, but they missed my son who plays with them the most. Great breed.

Just wanted to add if anyone is in South Texas and needs a Welsummer roo I will have two available!

 

[Misty Oak Ranch]

I'm going to be picking up 2 cockerals and 3 pullet chicks from the lady that bought Barber's stock right before he died. I'll try and post pics of them tomorrow evening, I'm realy excited to be obtaining these chicks. I'll also have the option of buying more in a few weeks, she's hatching out more this week and next. Can't wait to get em!!!!