The feathers of Welsummers chickens are not easily fluffed, and they are peaceful and amiable birds! Your Welsummers’ chatter will always let you know what they’re up to. They are multifunctional, exquisitely feathered, and have attractive egg layers—there is plenty to admire about them! It is called the Welsummers in its home country of Holland, whose spelling is more akin to the name of its birthplace, Welsum. This essay will examine the Welsummers chicken in great depth and show readers why it is a favorite among backyard chicken owners and British aristocracy alike.
The Welsummers Chicken History
The Welsummers breed of chickens is only a little over a century old. A Dutch breeder originally created the bird in the Dutch village of Welsum. Designed to be a dual-purpose chicken, it yielded plenty of meat in addition to being an excellent egg producer. A number of chicken breeds, including the Rhode Island Red, partridge Leghorn, Barneveld, and partridge Cochin, are crossed to produce the Welsummers. On the other hand, some claim that breeds like Brahma and Malay might have also been used in the production of the Welsummers chickens.
European chicken keepers reacted favorably to the Welsummers chickens when they were first made available to the public in 1921 at the World Poultry Congress in Hague’s. In 1927, the Welsummers was initially introduced to England. They were transported to the US from the UK a year later.
Appearance
A Welsummers rooster is typically associated with stereotypes of roosters; this rooster was also the one on cornflake boxes! Their tails are beetle black and iridescently green, resembling the bars on their wings. Their hackles and saddles are hot-burnt orange and crimson. The hens have a heathery brown color with a hint of black and gold highlights on their hackles. Their eyes are even a beautiful shade of red.
Personality
The Welsummers breed of chickens is amiable, perceptive, and manageable. They enjoy being let outdoors to search for food, but they can also live fairly well in runs. It’s not common knowledge that these hens are extremely hostile or flighty. In general, welsummers are seen as flexible and laid-back.
Welsummers are inquisitive birds by nature who take pleasure in investigating their environment. They spend a lot of time scratching the ground to find insects, seeds, and other edibles since they are energetic foragers. In a backyard setting, they might be fascinating to watch due to their innate curiosity.
Welsummers chicken Characteristics
They are placid and calm, but don’t mistake them for peaceful birds—when they’re angry, they get noisy! You can hear what they have to say from across the garden, even when they are going about their daily business. especially if they believe you’re carrying treats. They will happily eat from your hand, love attention, and put up with a little handling. Younger children may need to be advised not to show these birds too much affection.
You don’t have to worry too much about them during the winter because they are from the Netherlands and have a strong tolerance for cold. Nevertheless, there is a seasonal halt to egg-laying during the darker months. You will like these birds’ huge eggs when they are in season! Males of this dual-purpose breed will weigh roughly 7 pounds when they are fully grown, while females will weigh 6 pounds.
Behavior
The rich brown pigment that Welsummers add at the conclusion of the egg-laying process can actually be rubbed off. Welsummers lay beautiful, big eggs. They are not very excellent mothers, although they do get broody, though usually not until late spring. Because females have substantially darker head and back markings than males, chicks are robust and easy to identify as females. In the winter, their egg-laying decreases. These are amiable, manageable birds who enjoy being left to roam freely and search for food, but they may also be peacefully housed in runs. Of their nine years of existence, three have been productive.
Temperament
They are peaceful, kind, docile, and intelligent birds. My cock will consume food directly from my hand, and territorial disputes have never arisen between us. Despite the fact that they are robust birds, they are not unduly pushy with other breeds. I would position them somewhere between the middle and the top of the pecking order.
On the bad side, these birds may be noisy! They are the ones who shout the loudest when they sense the mood upon them or something is troubling them. They can be kept in a location with little to no fencing if preferred, as they enjoy foraging in the garden and are not excellent flyers.
Feeding
Provide your Welsummers chicks with a diet that contains a minimum of 20% protein. It’s necessary for the chicks to develop robust and healthy bodies. When they reach the age at which they may lay eggs, switch to a diet that contains 16% protein in the form of pellets, crumbles, or layers. Offer your hens insoluble grit when they start eating foraged items in addition to their feed, unless they have access to small stones in the garden. To aid in better digestion, they require grit or tiny stones. They can also have oyster shells, which are high in calcium and good for their egg shell quality and bone health.
Meat Production
Even if the corpses aren’t huge, a meat bird isn’t just a big chicken. Impressive-quality meat can be found on Welsummers. Something needs to happen to those excess roosters, especially if you breed Welsummers. A six-month-old cock should be able to produce a decent-sized carcass.
Welsummers Eggs
The most interesting thing first: these birds are noted for their beautiful speckled dark brown eggs. I think Welsummers eggs are prettier, but if you’re looking for really dark cocoa brown eggs, you’ll have to acquire some French Marans. Unbeknownst to many, the beginning color of every eggshell is either blue or white. The application of brown pigment to the exterior of the shell is how we obtain brown (or green) eggs.
This explains why a brown egg can have its color removed by rubbing it off and why the inside of the shell is white when you crack one open. The speckling is the result of the brown pigment being added erratically. I think my hen, who lays the most beautiful olive green eggs with brown specks, is a hybrid between an Easter Egger and a Welsummers, though I’ll never be able to confirm this.
Becoming a Rare Breed
Following World War II, the industrialization of production led to the downfall of traditional breeds such as the Welsummers as high-yielding hybrids became more popular.
Just a small group of enthusiasts in the Netherlands started the Welsummers club in 1969 in order to preserve the breed. Although some breeders continue to retain variances in appearance and only enter eggs in their annual show, this signified the breed’s transition from utility to display breed, with a greater emphasis on conformation and color.
The goal of the 2009 founding of the Welsummers Club of North America is to enhance and support American breeding stocks.
Breed Characteristics and Features
- Welsummers are good meat birds and may serve multiple purposes, but their amazing brown speckled eggs are their main draw.
- The Welsummers is vivacious by nature and lightweight, despite its strong construction. A male Welsummers hen weighs between 6.5 and 7 pounds, whereas hens might weigh between 4 and 6 pounds.
- The male’s comb is single, medium in size, and bright red in color. It will have five or seven points, be sturdy, and be erect. The medium-sized red wattles are positioned tightly together on the red ear lobes. In contrast, the combs and wattles of females are smaller.
- The legs have four long, straight toes and are clean and yellow in color. These ought to be widely dispersed. The eyes are crimson, and the skin is likewise yellow.
Welsummers Health
There is no specific health-related predisposition for Welsummers. They are susceptible to lice, mites, and worms, just like any other chicken; therefore, a treatment plan is necessary to help prevent any issues from developing.
Generally, they live anywhere from six to nine years, depending on the environment in which they are housed.
Welsummers Chicks
Welsummers chicks can be sex-oriented as early as one day of age. Compared to men, women are darker. On a lighter gold backdrop, they both have a brown stripe running down their backs. The stripe is much darker in females and extends up and over their heads. Males have a lighter shade that ends at the neck and only has a small dot of color on top of their heads. Sharply defined eye stripes are present; the stripes on female chicks are darker and more pronounced.
Cold Tolerance
Native circumstances for the summer are consistently gloomy, cool, and humid, but not terribly cold. My hens hibernate in the coop on chilly days because of the somewhat cooler environment in North Carolina than in Welsum. In winter, they often roost in the hottest areas by tucking their toes under their feathers to keep warm. Their actions collectively imply a limited degree of cold hardiness.
Predator Protection
Aerial attacks seem to be particularly common among Welsummers. Their back feathers probably resemble partridges (or rabbits), which are highly favored by predators. They are also vulnerable to ground predators since they are passive, light, and have limited flying abilities.
For this breed, safe grazing, effective protection against airborne predators, and predator-proof nighttime concealment are essential. Large coops and runs with access to fresh fodder or vegetable leftovers are another good place to confine Welsummers.
Facts About This Breed
1. Following World War I, they were developed in the Netherlands.
2. Spring eggs have speckles and are terracotta brown in color.
3.Among the color variations, partridge, silver ducking, and gold ducking are the most popular.
4. She is a good prisoner-taker but would much rather be out in the fields exploring.
5. Because this breed is auto-sexed, the males and females have different looks when they are young.
Coop Setup and Roaming
Since Welsummers are regular-sized chickens, the four square feet per bird rule is applicable in this case.
They don’t often quarrel or peck at one another; instead, they are calm birds. However, other hens may bully them because of their quiet disposition. Thus, if your flock is mixed, make sure each chicken has at least six square feet of coop space.
Regarding roosts, 8 to 10 inches of space per chicken will suffice, as they don’t mind sharing roosts with their neighbors. As usual, though, they will be able to stretch their wings a little if you can offer them more space.
A 12-by-12 nesting box will work well for Welsummers Chicken.
Make sure you have enough boxes for them because it appears that they would rather lie in a box area than an open one. It should work out to one box for every three hens. They will still have a favorite box that they all want to use at the same time, despite having so many boxes. Finally, some room to roam around. Welsummers are excellent foragers and enjoy living in the open. They’ll add some delicious treats from the garden to their feed intake.
They can hide from predators somewhat thanks to their partridge plumage, but they are also very aware of their surroundings and rarely stray too far from the flock.
What do Welsummers chicken eat?
In addition to plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, Welsummers hens should be fed a well-balanced diet of premium chicken feed. Welsummers chicks drink a lot of water, so make sure they have access to plenty of fresh water.
To aid in their digestive systems, you can also feed your hens some scratch grains and grit.
Feeding Welsummer chickens is largely the same as feeding other varieties of chickens. Your hens will be content and healthy as long as you feed them a nutritious, well-balanced meal!
Where to Find Welsummers Chicken for Sale
Like most breeds of chickens, most online hatcheries sell Welsummers Chicken for sale. You might need to look around a bit to find the best deal because these birds aren’t as prevalent as others, like Rhode Island Reds or White Leghorns. As with other birds during the springtime chick rush, your local farm and garden supply store might not have them in stock, but they can usually order them for you.
Consult with some of the area’s breeders and make time to visit any nearby farms that raise Welsummers. This will allow you to ensure that your birds come from the best breeding stock available and were nurtured in the healthiest conditions.