What are the reqirements for showing for Welsummers?

[Chickenrandomness]

I will (hopfully) soon get welsummers and i want to know what are the requirements.

 

[EweSheep]

This is from the UK Welsummer Club and this is their requirements of standards of the Welsummer:

THE WELSUMMER CLUB BREED STANDARD


Classification: Light: Soft feather
Egg Colour: Deep red-brown

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
MALE
CARRIAGE: Upright, alert and active. TYPE: Body well built on good constitutional lines. Back broad and long. Breast full, well rounded and broad. Wings moderately long, carried closely to the sides. Tail fairly large and full, carried high, but not squirrel. Abdomen long, deep and wide.
HEAD: Symmetrical, well balanced, of fine quality without coarseness, excess or exaggeration. Skull refined, especially at back. Beak strong, short and deep. Eyes keen in expression, bold, full, highly placed in skull and standing out prominently when viewed from front or back; pupils large and free from defective shape. Comb single, of medium size, firm upright, free from any twists or excess around nostrils, clear of nostrils and of fine, silky texture, five to seven broad and even serrations, the back following closely but not touching the line of the skull and neck. Face smooth, open and of silky texture, free from wrinkles or surfeit of flesh and without overhanging eyebrows. Ear lobes small and almond shaped. Wattles of medium size, fine and silky texture and close together.
NECK: Fairly long, slender at top but finishing with abundant hackle.
LEGS AND FEET: Thighs to show clear of body without loss of breast. Shanks of medium length, medium bone and well set apart, free from feathers and with soft pliable sinews, free from coarseness. Toes, four, long, straight and well spread out, back toe to follow in straight line, free from feathers between toes.
PLUMAGE: Tight, silky and waxy, free from excess or coarseness, silky at abdomen and free from bagginess at thighs.
HANDLING: Compact, firm and neat bone throughout.


GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
FEMALE
The general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences. Handling: Pelvic bones fine and pliable; abdomen pliable; flesh and skin of fine texture and free from coarseness; plumage sleek; abdomen capacious, but well supported by long breast bone and not drooping; general handling of a fit, keen and active layer.


PLUMAGE COLOUR
MALE
Head and neck, rich golden brown. Hackles rich golden brown as uniform as possible, free from black striping. Back, shoulder coverts and wing bow bright red-brown. Wing coverts black with green sheen forming a broad bar; primaries (out of sight when wing is closed), inner web black, outer web brown; secondaries, outer web brown, inner web black with brown peppering. Tail (main) black with a beetle green sheen; coverts, upper black, lower black edged with brown. Breast black with red mottling. Abdominal and thigh fluff black and red mottled.


PLUMAGE COLOUR
FEMALE
Head golden brown. Hackle golden brown or copper, the lower feathers with black striping and golden shaft. Breast rich chestnut red going well down to lower parts. Back and wing bow reddish brown, each feather stippled or peppered with black specks (i.e. partridge marking), shaft of feather showing lighter and very distinct. Wing bar chestnut brown; primaries, inner web black, outer brown; secondaries, outer web brown, coarsely stippled with black; inner web black, slightly peppered with brown. Abdomen and thighs brown with grey shading. Tail black, outer feathers pencilled with brown.

IN BOTH SEXES AND COLOURS
Beak yellow or horn. Eyes red. Comb, face, ear lobes and wattles bright red. Legs and feet yellow. Undercolour dark slate grey.


STANDARD WEIGHTS, LARGE FOWL
Cock 7lb, Cockerel 6lb, Hen 6lb, Pullet 4½ to 51b. These weights should be taken as minimum Standards.


SCALE OF POINTS
20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .General Type
30 . Handling, Size & Productiveness
10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Head
10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Legs and Feet
20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colour
10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Condition

SERIOUS DEFECTS: Comb other than single or with side sprigs. White in lobe, excessive white in plumage. Feather on legs, hocks or between toes. Other than four toes. Striping in neck hackle or saddle of male. Absolutely black or whole red breast in the male. Salmon breast in the female. Legs other than yellow. Badly crooked or duck toes. Any body deformity. Coarseness, beefiness and anything which interferes with the productiveness and general utility of the breed.


BANTAM
Welsummer Bantams are to be miniatures of the large fowl and so the standard for the large applies.

STANDARD WEIGHTS, BANTAMS: The:weights set out in the British Poultry Standards are: Male 36 oz, Female 28 oz. At present, more realistic maximum weights are Male 48 oz, Female 40 oz. All things being equal, the smaller bird is the preferred.


WELSUMMER CLUB EGG STANDARD
The Welsummer Club adheres to the Poultry Club Standard and scale of points for judging eggs. Size: Exhibition Welsummer eggs should be of good size
Colour: A rich, deep red-brown, as dark as possible. Some products are speckled and occasionally blotched. Glossy eggs are produced but the matt egg is the preferred.



I do not have the US Standard for the Welsummers but hopefully soon!

 

[Ariel301]

One of the judging categories includes 'Productiveness'. I'm assuming that means egg production? How can that be judged if the bird is in an exhibition cage for at most a few days? I've never shown poultry before, so I'm curious.

 

[EweSheep]

If I remember right, most of the breeders would try to gain productiveness in the breed. It probably used to be less than 150 eggs a year and now Welsummers are reaching 200-250 eggs a year. But all depends on the bird itself. Many breeders will record each hen and how she is laying for the day. It is a very time consuming job and need plenty of trap nesting and be able to weed out the undesirable egg colors.

In UK they do have "egg shows", to display the color, weight, size, and the contents of the egg inside, they would judge by color, etc. May the prettest egg win the class LOL!

I do not show Welsummers but I know a few might chime in and give a little more details about showing Welsummers.

 

[Tailfeathers]

I'm still anxiously awaiting the new Standard to hit the streets. I imagine many others are too. Here's the latest Standard I have:

WELSUMMERS
American Poultry Association
1998 Edition


Named after the village of Welsum in Holland, this Dutch Breed has in its makeup such breeds as Partridge Cochin, Partridge Wyandotte, and Partridge Leghorn; still later the Barnevelder and Rhode Island Red. It is noted particularly for its large brown egg, which remains its special feature, some eggs being mottled with brown spots. It has distinctive markings and color, and comes into the light breed category, although it has good body size. It enters the medium class in the country of its origin. Judges and breeders work to a standard that values indication of productivity so that laying merits can be combined with beauty. (Admitted to the SOP in 1991)


ECONOMIC QUALITIES

Good layers of dark brown eggs. Color of skin, yellow. A non-sitting fowl.


DISQUALIFICATIONS

White in the ear-lobes. (See General DQ’s and Cutting for Defects.) Note: As the General DQ’s and Cutting for Defects lists are extensive, please refer to the A.P.A. Standard of Perfection (SOP) for them.
SOPs, in both B&W and color, can be purchased here: http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/


STANDARD WEIGHTS

Cock 7 lbs Hen 6 lbs.
Cockerel 6 lbs. Pullet 5 lbs.


SHAPE – MALE

COMB: Single, medium in size, firm and upright, free from any twists or folds around the nostrils, having five regular and distinct points, the back following closely but not touching the line of the skull and neck.
BEAK: Strong, short and deep.
FACE: Smooth, open, free from wrinkles.
EYES: Large, full and prominent.
WATTLES: Medium in size, fine texture and close together.
EAR LOBES: Small and almond shape.
HEAD: Symmetrical, well-balanced of fine quality, without coarseness.
NECK: Fairly long, slender at the top but finishing with abundant hackle.
BACK: Broad, long, sloping slightly to the tail.
TAIL: Fairly large, full, carried high at an angle of 60 degrees above the horizontal.
WINGS: Long, carried close to the side.
BREAST: Full, well-rounded and broad.
BODY: Deep, broad, carried high, sloping slightly from front to rear.
FLUFF: Short and free from bagginess at the thighs.
LEGS : Set well apart when viewed from the front.
TOES: Four on each foot, long, straight and well-spread.
PLUMAGE: Tight, silky, waxy, free from excess coarseness and silky at the abdomen.

SHAPE - FEMALE

COMB: Single, similar to the male, only smaller.
BEAK: Medium and well-curved.
FACE: Smooth, open, free from wrinkles.
EYES: Large, full and prominent.
WATTLES: Medium in size, fine texture and close together.
EAR-LOBES: Small and almond-shaped.
HEAD: Symmetrical, well-balanced of fine quality, without coarseness.
NECK: Fairly long, slender at the top but finishing with abundant hackle.
BACK: Broad, long, sloping slightly to the tail.
TAIL: Long, carried high at an angle of 60 degrees above the horizontal.
WINGS: Long, carried close to the side.
BREAST: Full, well-rounded and broad.
BODY: Deep, broad, carried high, sloping slightly from front to rear.
FLUFF: Short and free from bagginess at the thighs.
LEGS: Set well apart when viewed from the front.
TOES: Four on each foot, long, straight and well-spread.
PLUMAGE: Tight, silky waxy, free from excess coarseness and silky at the abdomen.


COLOR - MALE

COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR LOBES: Bright red.
BEAK: Dark horn shading to yellow at point.
EYES: Reddish bay.
HEAD: Rich golden brown.
NECK: Hackle, rich golden brown as uniform as possible, free from black striping. Some striping allowed in under-feathers. Front of neck, same as breast.
BACK: Bright reddish brown. Saddle, rich golden brown as uniform as possible, free from black striping, some striping allowed in under-feathers. Sickles, lustrous, greenish black. Upper coverts, black. Lower coverts, black, edged with brown.
WINGS: Shoulder front and bows, bright reddish brown.
Coverts, lustrous, greenish black forming a wing bar when the wing is folded. A little brown peppering is permissible.
Primaries, upper web, black; lower web, brown.
Secondaries, upper web, black with brown peppering; lower web, brown.
BREAST: Black with red mottling.
BODY / FLUFF: Black and red-mottled.
LEGS / TOES: Thighs, black with red mottling. Shanks and toes, yellow.
UNDERCOLOR OF ALL SECTIONS: Slate.



COLOR - FEMALE

COMB, FACE, WATTLES AND EAR LOBES: Bright red.
BEAK: Dark horn shading to yellow at point.
EYES: Reddish bay.
HEAD: Golden brown.
NECK: Hackle, golden brown or copper, the lower feathers with black striping and golden shaft. Front of neck, same as breast.
BACK: Reddish brown, each feather stippled with black and having a distinct lighter shaft.
TAIL: Main tail, black. Coverts, black, edged with brown.
WINGS: Bows, same as back. Coverts, chestnut brown.
Primaries, upper web, black; lower web, brown.
Secondaries - upper web, black, slightly peppered with brown; lower web, brown, coarsely stippled with black.
BREAST: Rich, chestnut red going well down.
BODY / FLUFF: Brown with gray shading.
LEGS / TOES: Thighs, same as breast. Shanks and toes, yellow.
UNDERCOLOR IN ALL SECTIONS: Slate.

 

[EweSheep]

Thank you Tailfeathers!