Funny Jersey Giant behavior.

[matt1898]

This isn't really a question, but just an observation. My 2 week old giants are growing faaast..They can already fly up out of the little brooder. Anyways, so they've been moved to the big brooder and are vastly different personalities than any of my other birds so far.

I stick my hand down in there, and the big girl stands up at a attention as to say "what the heck is that??!" but she doesn't panic. I can pet her on the head and her back and she just stands there, looking confused and alert. The other two birds don't mind being petted, however they are still skittish about being picked up. I am curious though, that first chick is bigger than the rest and has been since I picked them up at the shop. I'm wondering if she might be a he. She is very dominant over the other two. During the first week, when she would walk up to another bird, she was so tall even then that she would lift her foot up and shove the other bird out of the way. It was cute.

 

[12321]

That's interesting, I got 6 Jerseys last year and they were a bunch of freaks. Didn't really care for them much. Since they were some of our first chicks and we had them in the garage, we did spend lots of time with them. They thought they were getting killed when you picked them up. Our little welsummer roos would ride on my finger to the window and catch flies and moths. Totally opposite from the jerseys.

2 got taken out by a coon and the other 4 all grew up to be roosters. One had a brain disorder - for no reason he would sqwak and then do a back flip. That became his name. Then one day we had back flip soup. The other 3 grew up ok. We did eat one more and it was the best tasting chicken I've had in my life. I'm going to keep one because he has a really nice deep crow and the other I'm giving to my neighbor to increase the size of his birds.

Although I got mine from a "breeder" I think I got hatchery birds. They're 11 months old now and haven't hit 7 pounds yet. I did put the biggest one in with my barred rock hens for black sexlinks and so far, those chicks seem to act like their dad, at least none doing back flips yet.

Keep us updated. Yours sound a lot better than ours. A lot of people that have them really like them. If I come across some decent ones, I might try them again just because that one tasted so good

 

[matt1898]

"They thought they were getting killed when you picked them up". That sounds a lot like my Americanas. My goal for the jerseys is to get them really tame and friendly(like my first 15). My gf's birds will all stand up on her shoulder and she can walk around with them, and they love being held. However, she spends every day with them for hours sometimes. That is where I have been lacking.

I don't think I could ever eat my birds(unless the crap hits the fan)....I really want their eggs for our on consumption and for sale, and I've got a ton of folks that want to buy eggs.

I think I'm gonna name the big gal "Godzilla"......

 

[Reyort]

How well do these birds handle hot, Texas weather?

 

[matt1898]

How well do these birds handle hot, Texas weather?

I'm in NC. I have no idea.

 

[12321]

How well do these birds handle hot, Texas weather?

One of ours got heat stroke last summer, but it could have been the one that already had problems. The others were all ok, but I'm a long way from Texas. It's still snowing here today.