Are my new adoptees Jersey Giants?

[bmart222]

They were seen wandering a nearby neighborhood for at least a week before someone contacted us knowing we’re chicken people…that was 1 month ago.

My best guess (googling) is Jersey Giant based on their black legs and yellow-bottomed feet.

What are your thoughts on breed, age, and gender? Thank you so much!!

Context…We currently don’t have any chickens so the coop is all theirs, but instead they sleep as high as possible in the trees. They love to perch on the duckling pen as seen in the picture I took today, watching over them but never intervening.

 

[Tookie]

Yes, they are Jersey Giants. I'm thinking they're under 12 weeks. How much do they weigh? I think the one on the left is a cockerel and the one on the right is a pullet. Have you got any eggs yet?

 

[NatJ]

They were seen wandering a nearby neighborhood for at least a week before someone contacted us knowing we’re chicken people…that was 1 month ago.

Do they look the same now as they did then? Or have they gotten obviously bigger since they were found?

My best guess (googling) is Jersey Giant based on their black legs and yellow-bottomed feet.

That is what I would guess too.

What are your thoughts on breed, age, and gender?

From the photo, my first thought is that they are mature or almost-mature females. The one with the bigger, redder comb would be close to laying eggs, or already laying, and the one with the smaller comb would either be less mature, or an adult hen who is taking a break from laying.

But I could be wrong in thinking that.

If they were chicks when found, and have grown a lot since, then it is more likely that the one with the big comb is a male, and the other a female.

If one lays eggs, it is definitely a female.
If one is crowing, it is most likely male. (Crowing hens exist, but they are fairly rare.)

How much do they weigh?

Good point. That could help sort out the age, which would make the genders easier to figure out too.

 

[bmart222]

Thank you so much! I’ll try to weigh them tomorrow. No more than a couple pounds each I’d guess. Here is a picture from their first day with me, 3 weeks ago.

No eggs or crows yet. They both make the same chicken noises and generally behave the same as my 1-year-old hens who live elsewhere.

Any chance the suspected rooster could be a lady?? I’ll be so sad to have to re-home them. Appreciate the help so much.

 

[bmart222]

From the photo, my first thought is that they are mature or almost-mature females.

My initial thought too! I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a Jersey Giant before - how much do they tend to weigh when they start laying?

 

[Painted Calls]

What color are the soles of their feet?

 

[NatJ]

Any chance the suspected rooster could be a lady?? I’ll be so sad to have to re-home them.

I think there is a chance of two females, but I'm not entirely sure.

It's hard when the age is unknown like this.

Neither one has male saddle feathers (long, narrow feathers on the back, that hang down to each side of the tail.) That could mean they are females, or it could just mean one or both are males too young to grow those feathers yet.

Since there has been no crowing, that could mean females, or it could mean young males.

No eggs could happen with young females, or not-laying females of any age, or males.

So I see a whole bunch of maybes here.

Since they were fully feathered when you got them, and you've had them for 3 weeks, then you should be able to know within a month or two-- that would make them definitely old enough to crow and grow saddle feathers, or probably old enough to lay eggs.

My initial thought too! I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a Jersey Giant before - how much do they tend to weigh when they start laying?

I haven't seen one in person either.
The official standard weight is 10 pounds for a mature hen, but hatchery birds would probably be lighter than that, and pullets start laying before they reach the mature weight, so maybe as low as 5 pounds or so?

 

[NatJ]

What color are the soles of their feet?

The first post said they were yellow:

My best guess (googling) is Jersey Giant based on their black legs and yellow-bottomed feet.

 

[Painted Calls]

The first post said they were yellow:

Ah thanks! I agree with JGs then.

 

[Birdsong 82]

With the looks you are blessed with 2 jersey giant hens! Every jersey giant hen I had I was absolutely in love with. So chill and personable. I just ended up with a jersey giant roo.