Black/white Jersey giant chickens?

[LaceyLu96]

Hello,
I would like to get chickens the coming spring, but since I'm not getting them for meat/eggs, I would like to get some "different" kind of chickens. The Rhode Island Reds, and other Red/brown chickens to me are too common.
I like the chickens/ducks that stand out, and was wondering if anyone knew anything about Jersey giants, and how big they really are?
thanks!
Also, if anyone has any chickens that stand out, I would love breed suggestions.

 

[Michael OShay]

I . . . was wondering if anyone knew anything about Jersey giants, and how big they really are?
thanks!
Also, if anyone has any chickens that stand out, I would love breed suggestions.

I've had Black Jersey Giants in the past and they are really gentle giants. They are slow maturing, but usually the hens reach around 10 lbs., and the roosters around 13 lbs. They are decent layers, but they do consume a lot of feed.

As far as breeds that really stand out, I would suggest Buff Orpingtons with their beautiful gold feathers, and Speckled Sussex with their colorful brown, white, and black, spotted feathers. Both of these breeds are hardy, friendly and gentle, and good layers of large, brown eggs. Whatever breeds you decide to get, good luck with your flock.

 

[LaceyLu96]

Thanks!
We had chickens before and we had 2 very large roosters, and the hens hatched several chicks, but now every rooster/hen I see(not mine but people I know), their hens just don't hatch out chicks, and their roosters are very small. I am looking for a breed that will hatch chicks, a large rooster breed, and that are easy to gentle.
and do you have any recommendations of hatcheries? Here the only places that you can get chicks is the feed store, and you have no idea of sex/breed.

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks!
We had chickens before and we had 2 very large roosters, and the hens hatched several chicks, but now every rooster/hen I see(not mine but people I know), their hens just don't hatch out chicks, and their roosters are very small. I am looking for a breed that will hatch chicks, a large rooster breed, and that are easy to gentle.
and do you have any recommendations of hatcheries? Here the only places that you can get chicks is the feed store, and you have no idea of sex/breed.

If you want a very large breed that hatches chicks and is very gentle, standard Cochins are the best way to go. We used to have Buff Cochins and while they do not weigh quite as much as the Jersey Giants, they are very large (and look even bigger with all those thick feathers) and they are as gentle as any breed out there. My children made lap pets of ours. And they are great brooders and mothers. Our Cochin hens raised several broods for us. Brahmas are another good choice. We had Light Brahmas and they were gentle giants (9 lb. hens and 12 lb. roosters). They were not quite as broody as the Cochins, but they were better layers.
You can get all of these breeds in this and my previous post through either Murray McMurray Hatchery (http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html) or Ideal Poultry (http://www.idealpoultry.com/index.html). I have ordered from both hatcheries on several occasions over the years and have been happy with both hatcheries' birds and service. I have never lost more than 1 or 2 chicks in shipping, and since both hatcheries put 2 or 3 extra in the boxes, I got what I paid for.

 

[LaceyLu96]

Thankyou! I love the cochin look, but never have looked much into them, we don't eat eggs(only during the holidays to make cakes and stuff and we buy eggs) so we would really like for them to hatch the eggs so we don't have to worry about them leaving the eggs in there and them spoiling, and we don't want to bring them inside either.
Have you ever tried cochin bantams?? I used to have a few bantams, and would like large and small chickens, but not crazy about medium sized chickens.
Thankyou! I live right down the road from Ideal, and thopught about ordering from them but I didn't know how they would be.

 

[Michael OShay]

Thankyou! I love the cochin look, but never have looked much into them, we don't eat eggs(only during the holidays to make cakes and stuff and we buy eggs) so we would really like for them to hatch the eggs so we don't have to worry about them leaving the eggs in there and them spoiling, and we don't want to bring them inside either.
Have you ever tried cochin bantams?? I used to have a few bantams, and would like large and small chickens, but not crazy about medium sized chickens.
Thankyou! I live right down the road from Ideal, and thopught about ordering from them but I didn't know how they would be.

You're welcome. Cochins will definitely hatch your eggs. They are very broody hens. I had some Cochin bantams about 35-40 years ago and they were delightful little birds; very friendly and gentle, and like the standard sized Cochins, they were very good brooders and mothers.

 

[LaceyLu96]

What About Light Sussex chickens? I've decided on the rooster being a light sussex, but don't really want hens of all light sussex, would a cochin and sussex mate? or is there not a chance of that? I would like cochins but, I don't like the way the roosters look, but I love the way the hens look.

 

[Michael OShay]

would a cochin and sussex mate? or is there not a chance of that? I would like cochins but, I don't like the way the roosters look, but I love the way the hens look.

Cochins and Sussex will definitely mate.