?? About Welsummer chicks & temperament

[themenagerie]

I received 6 chicks from MPC last week and they're healthy and adorable. They are however, very different from my last (and only) batch of chicks, which was a mixture of BO's, BR's, GLW's, EE's and Columbian Rocks. The Welsummer chicks are very skittish and frighten easily, even though we've been taking them out and holding them gently several times a day. I'm hoping this isn't a breed thing... I don't necessarily need more chickens that want to sit in my lap and be picked up, but I would like for them not to run for their lives every time they see movement or hear a sound.

 

[bargain]

I think it depends on the lines. Our welsummer and delaware chicks are super super friendly!

 

[mother o' chicks72]

my welsummer was a roo (don't worry, didn't kill him! he lives at a sanctuary now) and he was a pretty sweet chick but he got skittish later on a little before he started crowing. not sure if that helps.

 

[billfields]

I have two among my 18. They are all 21 weeks old now. The Welsumers have never been as friendly as the Dominique, the Cuckoo Maran, the Blue Andalusian or the Buff Orpington. But at the same time they are not as nutsy wild as Crazy Muriel (the name says it all) the Golden Campine. Will eat from your hand, tolerate touching but not holding. One is actually a bit of a bully, the other....kinda... well, dumb. Can get up to the top roost but it take a lot of thinking for her to figure out how to get back down. But they are very pretty hens. Should start laying any time now.

 

[chicharomirinda]

I have a batch of 25 chicks including 5 welsummers. I have to say that they are the most skittish of my chicks. They are almost 2 weeks old now. We'll see how they end up being as they get older.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I have 8 pullets, all about 3 1/2 months old, all from BYC. 2 are Welsummer, 2 are White Plymouth Rock, 2 are Black Jersey Giants and 2 are Barred Plymouth Rocks. While I think my Welsummers are the prettiest of the flock, both as chicks and as juveniles, they are not the friendliest. I've handled them all pretty equally since day one but I'd say the White Plymouth Rocks are the most tolerant of being handled followed by the Barred Plymouth Rocks. One of the Jersey Giants (Tyra) always acts like I'm going to kill her if I try to pick her up while the other (Diana) is more mellow. Strangely enough, Tyra is the chicken most likely to get a particularly rare and wonderful treat (like a grasshopper I've managed to catch) because she'll just run up and grab whatever I'm holding in my hand while the Welsummers are the least likely to get a special treat because they have to examine my hands suspiciously to see whether it is some sort of trick or trap. In the meanwhile someone else darts in and nabs it.

So, while I've noted differences in temperament within a breed, it doesn't surprise me that you are finding your Welsummers a bit standoffish or skittish.

 

[donnavee]

Quote:
I don't have a Welsummer so I cannot help on temperament, but had to chuckle when I read the above. I have 2 Crazy Muriels - Goldie & Tawny - my Golden Campines make all my other chickens seem like perfect angels. Acutally, my Dominiques are almost too friendly - want to sit in our laps and be petted all the time.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

My three welsumers that are now one week old are the friendliest and most curious of the whole batch. They are certainly not skittish. I'd say from the breeds I have the light brahmas are the most easily spooked. The little plunky wyandottes are the smallest but hold their own in the bug chases. The australorps and dominiques are neutral, curious but from a bit of a distance.

When I went and changed the water just now, the welsumers hopped on my hand and didn't want to let go, even when I put them gently down so that I could go on with the chore of giving them clean water. Have you tried feeding them mealworms yet? That'll warm them up to you.

ETA: the chicks came from Meyer, so we must have chicks from the same batch of eggs that they hatched last week. I believe MPC's stock comes from Meyer.

 

[billfields]

Quote:
Right now Crazy Muriel really looks the part..somehow lost all her tail feathers. Not sure if others did it or if she did it herself. 17 of the 18 will at least eat from your hand. She will not. I have raised her from a day old chick and she still looks at me like she has never seen me before and assumes I am the predator from Hades come to claim her body and soul. No more Campines for me no matter how pretty they are! My Dominique is the same as your, very friendly and calm. So is the Cuckoo Maran. The Blue Andalusian can't abide being touched but she will, by choice, perch on the back of my chair or my shoulder.

 

[mallory2013]

I have a welsummer pullet who is 15 weeks old. She is very sweet. She will come up to me (or anyone!) to see if they have a snack. All of my chickens protest about getting picked up, but Nancy the welsummer will surrender as soon as I pick her up and seems to enjoy being stroked.