JerseyGiantfolks guide to seeing what chick may be the one to show

Hi there! You may have noticed me a couple times bouncing around the threads. I show my poultry, it's all about showing, and making money back for the $18.00 (for 1 bag of 50lbs feed). My poultry experience is so wide it's probably going to take several pages, so I started writing one: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/jgfolk-jersey-giants-experiences-and-happy-times Anyways, on with the subject:

Finding the chick who has a good chance at having a show career:

After the chick hatches, an easy way to tell if it's a Jersey is the feet. The bottom of a true Jersey Giant's feet are yellow. Any pink feet are a DQ or the chick is a different breed (Java or Australorp) The key for a good breeding bird is immune to disease.. just had to throw that it! 

After about a week chicks will start developing more visible comb, and feathers. When a Jersey Giant chick has hatched it has a white breast, fluff and part of it's face, examples of what to look for: 

Disqualifications: ​

• Side sprigs (stubs at the back of the comb)
• Crossbeak (crossed beak)
• Broken wing (Chicks are very delicate, one mess up on the wing can be permanent)
• Splayed legs (Can happen if not enough shavings, slippery surface, accident trying to roost)  

Then we have symptoms that mean your chick is sick:

Common Symptoms of Sickness:

• Runny manure
• Lethargic
• Dragging legs
•  Eye discharge

If your chicks have any of these symptoms, ask on BYC for help.

Here's another list on healthy symptoms:

Good healthy chicks look (and act!) like this:

• Eating and drinking well
• Soft manure (Not hard)
• Bright eyes, no discharge
• Moving around well

Next we have our final stage:

When the chicks are around 5-6 months you'll notice who goes and who stays:

• No more than an inch of white on the feathers
• A good tail angle: Female: 30 degree, Male: 45 degree
• A good pose: A nice broad bird is good
• And of course, a good personality! 

Soon your chick could turn out to be a champion!

(c)JerseyGiantfolk 2012 "Twinkle and her ribbons"  (She's molting, so that's why she looks ratty)

~JerseyGiantfolk