The Welsummer Thread!!!!

[pinkchick]

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First of ALL.....

Your little chick with the creamier colored head is a rooster and from what I see the rest are pullets. Congratulations! Great choice for your first birds.

 

[EweSheep]

I am guessing that roo is not a pure Welsummer or a bad throwback. I would not use them for breeding.

Other than that, congratulations!

 

[elite8]

My question is how come some hens have much larger combs and wattles than others? I have two hens and this is the case. What do you think of them by the way?

 

[zookyla]

Hi,

I'm new to chickens and to BYC. I'm interested in getting some Wellsummers for the flock I'm starting. I live in Texas and was wondering if there is anyone in my area who raises Wellsummers?

Thanks!

 

[pinkchick]

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Welcome!

Your girls look good and the comb size thing is just different with every bird.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Welcome!

I am sorry...I'm drawing a blank about Texas breeders....sorry texas peeps, it is almost impossible to remember where everyone is and what everyone breeds. Someone will come by and give you some suggestions. Ewesheep will probably know right off the top of her head....she holds a wealth of Wellie info.

 

[EweSheep]

Only ONE member out of TX that is a member of the WCNA....

Texas

Sandra Yeagin
4755 ACR 2212
Palestine, TX 75803

I am going to be updating the membership list for the Fall, 2010 and I am sure someone will chime in. However I do have others if you like to visit other states.

And there are some folks you will go "Buyers Beware" kind of thing if you are not seriously breeding Welsummers, take extreme caution when you do so IF you still instist having a TX breeder that is not a member of the WCNA. ASK alot of questions about their birds, where they got their stock from and how reputable they are. Do NOT be afraid to ask for references if you are still questioning the validity of the breeder himself.

As for Elite8, sometimes genetics play a role here.....some says that Lowell Barber birds have MORE of a comb on them than the Channing lines which they have smaller combs. If it was me, I'd prefer the smaller combs. Also if they got white earlobes like I see in the photos, Welsummers SHOULD be RED, not white or pearl in color. Sometimes it tells you of the health of the birds. If memory serve me right, there was a Wellie owner that HAVE Welsummers but had white earlobes, so she corrected the feed or nutrition, it turned back to red.

Hope it helps!

 

[elite8]

Thanks for the info and advice. All of the birds appear very healthy. I am just now starting to bring them into layer feed. They have been on high protein up until now and they just started laying about a week ago. They are at the bottom of the totem pole so I will have to watch and make sure they are getting enough. There are two feeders though. Eventually I hope to get some from a breeder and work on getting darker eggs. Maybe a good rooster? They aren't that bad though. Just to let you know...this is my first flock and I have been having a lot of fun. Thanks again

 

[cpartist]

Zookyla...I think Josh44 is in Texas and has some very pretty Wellies from Whitmore Farms.

Nate....had my camera out today so snapped a back shot, in case you were still looking...LF, young (21 week) pullet as my "big girls" are molting.

Pink This ones for you

.

You were right, and this boy (21 weeks) is really starting to fill out...I'm liking him more and more.
Wish I could show a full body shot, but most of my pics of him were color blurs...they seem to understand
the "treat" word just fine, why is "pose" so difficult

.

Are you keeping both your older roo and your younger one? I really only want one roo of this breed, as it is not my primary focus, and don't want
to house the other boy separately, as I believe in raising them within a flock. Even if they somehow managed to get along if penned together, I'd want to only
hatch chicks from the better (younger) roo. I have no problem culling roo's with temperament issues, or those that I identify early on will not make the "cut".
But when a roo has been a good boy....contributed to the breeding program, showing his girls how lay in the nest boxes and not in the run...it is more difficult.
I'm hoping a local lady who has a large free range egg laying business, and has been taking my extra roo's for flock protection will want him, once I confirm
fertility on junior. Just curious as to your plan.

 

[pinkchick]

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Oh his colors are so nice and VERY VIVID.....nice shot! He is PRETTY, and yah I'd say he's beefing up!
Loki is doing great and filling out nicely, it does appear that he will not get his fathers ginormous size and this is a big relief to me, I really wanted a roo that is close to standard size. Odin is a monster and has passed it on to a couple of his daughters, they are just turning 5 months and are bigger than my 2 oldest hens.....like uh waaaaaayyy bigger. I'm thinking of experimenting and making a giant Welsummer line with them for fun to see just how big I can get them. No joke, Odin is that big. I think his real name should have been Andre.

I am keeping both roos incase something ever happens again like it did when the pitbulls came to dinner, had I not had 2 roos at the time I would haven't a roo, let alone a roo from my original breeding stock. I have seperated the flock now that Loki is old enough and has figured things out. Mothers are in with son and daughters are in with father. I would really like to run them both (Odin and Loki) together but I don't have enough matriarchal hens so that I'm not breeding Loki to his sisters. This will happen next year. I am up to 7 girls finally but only 2 are laying....3 should be laying anytime and the other 2 will be laying in approx a month and half. I am backcrossing the same as with my Marans for improved egg color and egg color retention.
Thanks for sharing them CP.

*must get back shots for Nate* *must get back shots for Nate*