I AM GETTING WELSUMMERS!!!!

[Henrietta23]

You know, H23, almost all of my current flock are hatchery stock, with the expception of the fab 5 from keljonma and the few I hatched out myself. I have some very pretty birds from the hatchery!

I did think about ordering Wellies from the hatchery, but since I decided that this was going to be THE breed I focus on, I chose to start with eggs from private breeders. I am on a waiting list to get some more Welsummers eggs in March from proven Show Quality Welsummers. With the eggs I've on the way, by the end of the year I should have a nice flock of Wellies with 3 different bloodlines.

Can't wait to see pictures. Except for my silkie rooster George, whom I hatched here and my mutt hen Sasha who came from the University of Connecticut's poultry program all my birds also came from hatcheries. I love every last one of them! They may not be show quality but I don't show birds. They lay pretty eggs and they're fun. I will enjoy following your Welsummer project though. I almost didn't order any last year and added them at the last minute. I'm so glad I did. I had really wanted Barnevelders. Now, I think my Barnies are really pretty, and they're about as friendly as the Wellies, but they don't lay as consistently. In fact I'm not sure they ever started before Winter hit!

 

[Beekissed]

If I get a broody, Aly, I might buy some of the Wellie eggs from you as I think they are beautiful as well. I love a dual purpose bird that is beautiful as well. A lot of my customers love driving by and seeing all the pretty colors of my birds. I think it helps sell the eggs!

When I cull the older gals and the nonlaying hens of the coop, I'm hoping to get a broody to set. If so, I will be throwing the NHR eggs under her and would love some of your Wellie eggs as well. Let me know how much you plan to sell them for?

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

My first batch of Welsummer eggs shipped today!! WHOOHOOO!! I am hoping they will be here Wednesday, or Thursday at the latest!

I am getting eggs from two other BYC'ers as well...one person I'm getting pure breed eggs of Salmon Faverolles, Welsummers, and either Buttercups or Lakenvelders, which ever she tosses in.

The other eggs are Blue/Black/Splash/Barred Rocks and some Welsummer mixed eggs.

DH thinks I should keep the chicks long enough to determine sex, this way I can add all the brown egg laying hens that hatch to my laying flock for eating eggs. The local feedstore takes all the brown eggs I can give them and takes it off the feed I get.

Any chicks I don't keep, will be sold with the Easter Chick market. Whatever doesn't sell then, will be sold at the auction barn.

Of course, since I'm going through all this trouble just to get Welsummers, those will be staying until they are about 6 months or so, then I'll keep what I want for my breeding stock, let my mom take her pick from what I don't keep, and sell the rest at auction.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, no eggs at the PO today they'll be there tomorrow! OK well, not all of the eggs...some weren't shipped until today...

Bee, I've only ever culled one chicken. It was a chick that wasn't doing well at all, and we knew he wasn't going to make it, so we had to put him down. Was only 2 months old. I cried sooo hard over that little chick. He was a gorgeous little roo and I had big plans for my breeding project with him. Oh well, I've lived and moved on.

I've only been doing the chicken thing for a couple years, but I definitely dove in with both feet.

Dh and I have decided to add some red stars for egg layers to the layer coop this year. Er, rather, DH decided that was what we were doing. My mom has red stars, and their feed conversion/egg production is awesome! They aren't very meaty birds, nor large, but my goodness she's getting 14 eggs a day and those hens laying of hers are 8 months to 3 years! No slacking hens in that flock!

 

[Beekissed]

Quail, I cull when necessary as I cannot afford to feed a nonproducer....no matter how cute or pretty! I'm not really into culling for nonconformity to breed or anything, just trying to develop a flock of hardy, high producing gals who are good to eat when they are done laying, or if they produce extra roos. I just can up an old bird and they come out tender as can be. I will admit that a few of my favorite old hens have missed the chopping block a couple of times....by accident or Freudian slip, I don't know!

I had to kill my prettiest and biggest- egg- laying NHR the other day and it was a hard thing to do. I didn't eat her, though, as I felt her tissues had been under too much stress for a couple of days. She started out her egg cycle laying enormous double-yolkers every day and I loved it....until she became egg bound. I noticed she was sort of sitting around in a daze, or on the nest but not really acting herself. When she stopped eating well, I started to suspect and when I hadn't gotten her big egg for a couple of days I knew. I put her out of her misery, I couldn't stand to see her suffer like that.

I hated it like anything, as she was beautiful and young and I had named her Copper Penny. She used to follow me around and try to communicate. But, that is life with livestock, you know. I try not to get bogged down by my feelings, as this is about frugal living for me and not so much about keeping pets.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, I won't lie, I do have a few "pets" in my flock. I am not opposed to culling and eating them, but we've been selling the ones who don't meet our needs for now. Putting that $ back into feed or better stock. But, our reasons for having chickens are different yet the same.

On one hand, I am raising certain breeds to fit the needs (I hope) of our local 4-H community. At the same time, I'm working on building a nice flock of layers for personal family use (eggs, food, etc.)

Now I'm really wanting to know if I do ever get to butchering my own, how do I save the feathers for homemade feather pillows?

 

[Beekissed]

If you are using chicken feathers, you have to have a good heavy ticking to prevent them from poking through the fabric. You also have to use only "soft" feathers from close to the body, as the guard feathers have a harder shaft than the softy, curved ones. Those guard feathers will make your pillow a prickly head rest, at best! I kept the same feather pillow for 22 years while growing up!!! I loved that thing! It finally just disintegrated!

 

[Henrietta23]

Quail, I'll put in my vote for Red Stars as well. I love mine. My very first hens were Reds and they were awesome layers, as well as being very nice birds to have around. They're friendly, don't eat like pigs with feathers, and each seems to have its own personality. I think I will most likely always have some in my flock!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, my Welsummer eggs are sitting down at the post office

We were without power since around 8 am this morning. Which was AWFUL! BUT, I spent some quality time with my family, made a few calls to some hatcheries, asked some questions of them...and finally did what I always do, called McMurray back and placed in order. Sigh. I don't know why I check out other hatcheries when I always go back to MM regardless.

Sooooo I ordered 6 New Hampshire Red hens and 1 rooster, 6 Black Australorp Hens and 1 rooster, 1 Rhode Island Red Hen, and 10 Red Stars. This is the start of my layer flock!! They will be here March 30!

 

[keljonma]

I am getting eggs from two other BYC'ers as well...one person I'm getting pure breed eggs of Salmon Faverolles, Welsummers, and either Buttercups or Lakenvelders, which ever she tosses in.

QA, we have one Silver Lakenvelder hen, Martha. Their white and black feathering is beautiful, imo. Martha is chatty, but doesn't especially like to be held. Her eggs are white, but have a very faint pinkish tint and a matte finish to them. Martha was the earliest to lay in our flock.. 4 months 18 days. I haven't updated my flock journal this month, so I don't have an egg total, but Martha has been averaging 120 eggs a year.

Our Buttercup hen, Ellen, was very friendly, loved to chat and occasionally be held. I think the Buttercup hens are beautiful. She was the 9th in our flock to lay, at 5 months and 5 days of age. Her eggs were pale white with a matte finish. Ellen laid 40 eggs between Nov 29, 2006 and Mar 19, 2007. She died at 8 months and 23 days.