Welsummer

The Welsummer is a Dutch breed best known for its deep, terracotta-brown eggs, frequently speckled with darker flecks, which are among the most admired in any laying flock. Hens are warmly coloured with a rich brown, partridge-style body, while cockerels carry the classic golden-hackled, dark-breasted look so often pictured on cereal packets. It is a medium-sized, dual-purpose fowl with a calm, upright bearing and a single comb.

Welsummers are intelligent, easy-going birds that take well to free ranging and tolerate a back garden setting provided they have room to forage. They are reliable layers through the main season, slowing in the depths of winter as most heritage breeds do. The depth of egg colour varies from bird to bird and tends to be richest early in the laying year, which is part of their appeal for anyone who values a beautiful, characterful egg basket.