Welbars - Breed thread and discussion

[dheltzel]

I really like the personality of my Welbar. So tame and comfortable being held. Could someone tell me if the crooked comb is normal for this breed? I'm guessing she won't have any issues from it, but I have not seen a crooked comb like this before. She is about 9 weeks old.

I don't recall seeing many crooked combs, but I am not sure I'd have noticed. I will try to look a bit closer tomorrow when tending them.

 

[ronnhill7]

I've got two welbar cockerels about 13 weeks old. Both have their outside toe on both feet slightly curved backwards....towards the rear of the chicken.
Anyone seen this before? I welcome your comment; sorry no photo yet.

 

[dheltzel]

I've got two welbar cockerels about 13 weeks old. Both have their outside toe on both feet slightly curved backwards....towards the rear of the chicken.
Anyone seen this before? I welcome your comment; sorry no photo yet.

This seems to be a residual genetic defect. I am finding fewer of these with each generation and it doesn't seem to be anything more than a cosmetic defect. Most of my younger ones seem to not have this anymore. I think that if you breed from these cockerels, some may have this defect but hopefully not all, especially if your pullets have straight toes.

 

[ageewax]

I have my first welbar - actually from dheltzel. We expect to see her laying in a month or two (probably late October at the earliest). She is about four to five months old and already has a gorgeous red comb and wattle coming in. She's so pretty - she is my husband's new favorite. While I don't get to handle the newest pullets (picture below) like I did the older hens when we first got them, she is easy to pick up off of the roost at night, does not freak out when I touch her, and is overall super sweet. I am sure that as she gets older and I have more time to spend with her, she'll be just as tame as our older hens. I'm so excited to see how her eggs look! She's already very big in size - about as big as our two-year-old hens.

Buying from dheltzel was a very easy experience, and we received a healthy pullet as promised. We drove from DC to PA to go get her and integrated her to the flock along with the blue barnevelder we purchased the day before at a swap. These two are now inseparable.

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[ronnhill7]

A very nice looking pullet.

 

[ronnhill7]

One of my Welbar girls getting friendly......

 

[miss heny]

Curiosity is strong here, are there anyone in the US developing bantam version of this breed in the US?

 

[dheltzel]

Curiosity is strong here, are there anyone in the US developing bantam version of this breed in the US?

I've thought about it, but the bantam Welsummers lay light brown eggs and I find the dark eggs the real attraction of Welbars. Breeding down from LF would be quite an effort, I admit I don't even know exactly how to do that, the dwarf genes responsible for making bantams seem quite complicated to me.

 

[ageewax]

Our Welbar from dheltzel just started laying last week at six and half months old. Pic of egg color below. Very pleased with dheltzel's line of Welbars so far!

 

[ronnhill7]

Got my first Welbar egg today..........thank you Dennis for the info and development of these chickens.