Quote:
Originally Posted by
IowaHeritage 
There is an old saying in cattle breeding :" There is as much difference within a breed as there are between the breeds."
To get good stock, research individual lines within whatever particular breed.
Look at the differences in the genetic variance ( structure, ability ) of Quarter Horses.... the extremes barely resemble each other.
Chickens are no different, start with good stock and know the history of any given line......
To say Giants are poor layers is akin to saying Angus Cattle produces poor meat.
Animals, such as dual-purpose chickens like the Jersey Giant, were bred for certain traits. I would say they are good egg-layers considering their size. But they were used more for meat birds until faster-growing chicken breeds were discovered.
On average, Jersey Giants will lay 3 eggs a week in a year. I don't consider that a good egg-layer. There are variations within a breed, but again, on average this is what you will find.
Here is some information about the Jersey Giant.
http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Jersey-Giant-B57.aspx
http://www.backyardchickens.com/products/jersey-giant#description
And if you don't believe breeds are important to animal traits, I suggest you try raising Angus milk cows.
Edited by Bullitt - 2/17/12 at 6:40pm