Welsummer Partridge

Hatching eggs are available for sale

6 Eggs - £19.50 Including Postage and Packing

12 eggs - £29.50 Including Postage and Packing

Named after the village or Welsum in East Holland, the Welsummer with its friendly and docile character was added to The British Poultry Standards in 1930. Thought to have been crossed with the partridge versions of the Cochin, Wyandotte and Leghorn and then to increase egg laying, crossed with the Barnevelder and the Rhode Island Red.

Eggs

They produce 140 – 160 in a season – a large rich brown speckled egg. In fact the eggs are so brown, people thought the eggs had been faked, particularly when people discovered the pigment could be washed off newly laid eggs – we were quite surprised when we discovered this to be true!!

Appearance & Temperament

Thought to have been crossed with the partridge versions of the Cochin, Wyandotte and Leghorn and then to increase egg laying, crossed with the Barnevelder and the Rhode Island Red. This is a very attractive bird – the females have brown partridge-looking markings with golden feathers to the hackle and the cockerel (ours is known as The Reverend Welsummer) has a “traditional” farmyard look about him with red, brown and black plumage and iridescent sheen upon the tail feathers. The breed has a long back and characteristic “U” shape formed by the neck, back and tail. The well-proportioned head features a short, light-coloured beak, alert, orange eyes, a single upright comb with between 5 – 7 serrations, a smooth red face, small red earlobes and averagely sized red wattles. Featherless yellow socked legs and feet with four well-spread toes. They are quite a favourite of ours.

If you are interested in keeping Welsummer chickens as garden poultry, hatching eggs for this breed are available for sale – find out more

Welsummer hatching eggs for sale from Over the Stile, East Sussex