April's Jersey Giants

[AprilWC]

I decided to start a new thread now that I've had Jersey Giants for a couple of years and refined my flock. Previous Giant thread was here if you're curious.

We decided to focus solely on our white Giants at this time and 2024 has been a big year for them. I am currently hatching my second generation of home-bred babies. I also entered my first poultry show. One of my homebred males took reserve in the American class.

This year's breeding flock

My best overall male

Last year's batch of chicks

My foundation hen, unfortunately lost her to a fox last summer.

Show prep

Our first show, back in March. I had nightmares leading up to the show that my birds would be DQ'd so this was a pleasant surprise.

 

[Amer]

Fabulous birds! I have always thought that willow legs were fun.

 

[AprilWC]

My cheap countertop incubator crapped out this year and resulted in the loss of many of my chicks. We upgraded to a cabinet incubator and currently awaiting the first batch of eggs to come out.

These two babies are the only chicks so far from this spring's hatch:

They are in a really ugly phase of growth, but I'm happy to have them. So far it looks like a male and female. If they will grow as nice as last year's chicks I'll be pleased.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

the big birds

 

[AprilWC]

This big guy just turned a year old. I don't quite like him as much as his sire, but I've hatched a few of his babies so we'll see what comes of it.

 

[I Like Turkeys]

Congrats on the reserve American! The first male is absolutely stunning.

 

[Yard Farmer]

I'll be interested in following your thread.
Nice looking birds.

 

[AprilWC]

Thank you!

Yes, the Reserve American was entirely unexpected, but really encouraging for me. Hoping to get to more shows this fall.

 

[AprilWC]

I've had my largest hatch year so far! Currently growing out 14 white JGs and 5 black split to white. It may not sound like much but I am only hatching from 2 males and 3 females. I took a break over the heat of summer but hoping to do one more small hatch for autumn as the girls begin to lay again. Just one show on my fall list for November. I'm hoping to take some of these babies and see how they stack up.

I've been hatching from this black hen bred to my best white cockbird. She has excellent size and width - traits my white females are lacking. I seem to have a strong male line but the females tend to be smaller than I prefer.

 

[Amer]

I've had my largest hatch year so far! Currently growing out 14 white JGs and 5 black split to white. It may not sound like much but I am only hatching from 2 males and 3 females. I took a break over the heat of summer but hoping to do one more small hatch for autumn as the girls begin to lay again. Just one show on my fall list for November. I'm hoping to take some of these babies and see how they stack up.

View attachment 3934050
I've been hatching from this black hen bred to my best white cockbird. She has excellent size and width - traits my white females are lacking. I seem to have a strong male line but the females tend to be smaller than I prefer.

A lot of my first years I would hatch only a few as well. Part of it was a struggle with fertility in the first years (now I usually breed from cockerels so I can hatch earlier than when the cocks come into season.) But a lot of it was infrastructure. It takes time to build up the space and incubator space for all those chicks. Even harder if you have LF! Harder still with Jersey Giants.
The number of birds I have used for breeding has remained fairly constant though.