Breed profile
Welsummer
The Dutch dark-egger that corn-flake ads made famous. Welsummers are dual-purpose birds from the village of Welsum, and the published numbers are specific: about 160 eggs a year, dark brown, and heavy for the class at 65 grams apiece. Hens run 4.4 to 5.5 pounds, making this the lightest dark-egg bird in the library. If you want chocolate shells without the Marans' feathered legs and show-market price, this is the practical route.
The egg numbers
| Eggs per year (first laying year) | 160–200 |
|---|---|
| In-lay rate | ≈3–4 a week |
| Egg weight | 65 g |
| Strain note | Sources spread, published as a range: about 160 eggs per year at 65 g on the breed reference, and a hatchery spec table lists Rate of Lay 200/Year. Eggs are dark brown. |
| Egg color | dark brown |
| Egg size | large |
| Starts laying | 22–26 weeks |
Body and climate
| Form | standard |
|---|---|
| Strain | heritage |
| APA class | Continental |
| Comb | single |
| Leg feathering | clean |
| Leg color | yellow |
| Distinguishing features | day-old chicks sex by down color: a dark eye-line running to the back of the head marks females; males show a light brown head and back without it |
| Bird size | large |
| Skin color | cream |
| Recognized varieties | Three plumage colours listed by the Entente Européenne, of which only Red Partridge is recognised in the Netherlands. |
| Weeks to maturity | 20 |
| Mature hen weight | 5 lb |
| Mature rooster weight | 6.5 lb |
| Weight note | Standard: males 2.75-3.25 kg (6-7.2 lb), females 2.0-2.5 kg (4.4-5.5 lb); one hatchery's flock lists hens at 4.5 lb. |
| Cold hardiness | excellent |
| Heat tolerance | excellent |
| Climate note | The breed reference: "very hardy birds often surviving illness and hard winters", with a known lifespan of 8-10 years. |
Character
| Temperament | A steady, flight-ready farm bird; strong forager reputation. |
|---|---|
| Disposition | best |
| Free range | excellent |
| Meat production | good |
| Foraging | excellent |
| Broodiness | moderate |
| Broody note | One spec table lists Broodiness: Yes; another grades them somewhat likely to sit and a third occasionally. |
| Good first breed | Yes |
What this means for your setup
Light-to-medium housing math at 5 pounds a hen. The 65-gram egg average is the quiet standout: that is extra-large territory, and it comes on modest feed volume. Cold hardiness is graded excellent and the breed reference describes birds that often survive hard winters; broodiness isn't graded, so winter planning stays mostly generic: dry bedding, ventilation, heated water. For flock mixing, keep them with calm companions and cover the run; flight readiness varies by line.
Gear that fits this breed
Coop Size Calculator
turn 5-lb hens into coop, run and roost numbers
Egg Calculator
turn the 160–200 egg-a-year range into a hen count
Best Coops for Cold Climates
a cold-excellent breed earns the winter-spec picks
Welsummer FAQ
How many eggs do Welsummers lay a year?
About 160, with the eggs dark brown and averaging 65 g.
How dark are Welsummer eggs compared to Marans?
Both lay dark brown shells, but the Marans is the breed known for mahogany-to-chocolate depth; the Welsummer's edge is egg size (65 g) on a lighter bird.
How big do Welsummers get?
Standard ranges give 4.4-5.5 lb for females and 6-7.2 lb for males.