I was going for all astralorps last yr and then changed my mind for a colorful egg basket. Now I have white jersey giants ordered, I can't wait for some giant chickens. I should have got them from a breeder for what I want but I'm hoping for the best. The jersey giants average 10lbs for hens and 13lbs for roosters and usually get closer to 20lbs. They were bred before the hybrid giant white turkeys took over the market to replace the need for turkeys. I can't wait! They are supposed to be very calm nice birds and decent layers, and good layers in the winter because of their size cold doesn't bother them like other breeds. The only reason they didn't take over the meat industry is they take forever to get full grown. Where cornishx takes weeks to get to butcher weight, giants take months to a year or more to get huge. They say giants build their skeletal bone structure first and then put on the meat so if you try to butcher early you better be prepared to eat a big bird of bones. Feed is a lot more expensive now compared to when giants were first bred.
