Jersey Giant male or female?

[Keeperofmunchkins]

This photo confirms it for me

 

[Luaive]

Yhea sorry about the picture quality, chickens just don't listen the word stay still.....so disobedient lol!! I will of course come back with the final outcome! Nah I don't want to stress out unnecessarily by trapping him/her, it's more me being impatient and wanting to know now lol! Watch this space

 

[sourland]

85 % it's a cockerel. Either it is or isn't - hope it is for the OP. Why the need for some to feel 'right'?

 

[Keeperofmunchkins]

What exactly in this photo makes it look like a cockerel to you ?
The bird is 18 weeks old, has no saddle/ hackle feathers and has a dark purple colored comb and wattles

The amount of wattle growth and the tufty looking greenish tinged tail end feathers indicating newly growing in hackle feathers. Plus it just looks like a boy in the face. I have to say though that the first few photos looked very much like a pullet.

 

[Keeperofmunchkins]

85 % it's a cockerel. Either it is or isn't - hope it is for the OP. Why the need for some to feel 'right'?

Not necessarily. Could be a hermaphrodite.

 

[RoosterML]

Why the need for some to feel 'right'?

No need just Sunday morning bantering.

 

[Acre4Me]

Here they are at approximately 36 weeks old. The BJG male is center of top roost, with back to the camera. The female is on the bottom roost on the right with back to the camera. Maybe you can see the back end feathers better. Note the male's feathers are pretty rounded back there, but there are many pointy saddle feather all along his sides. In addition, his hackle feathers are very male and different from the female's.

The rooster standing is a Black Australorp, just FYI.

 

[RoosterML]

Here they are at approximately 36 weeks old. The BJG male is center of top roost, with back to the camera. The female is on the bottom roost on the right with back to the camera. Maybe you can see the back end feathers better. Note the male's feathers are pretty rounded back there, but there are many pointy saddle feather all along his sides. In addition, his hackle feathers are very male and different from the female's.

The rooster standing is a Black Australorp, just FYI.
View attachment 1634696

At 36weeks/9months they should be full grown by now for sure I would think. At what point do you believe they stopped growing? Reason I ask is I am thinking of doing some heritage breeds as meat birds this year and wondering what the time frame is for them. Do you have any idea on the sizes/lbs at let's say 4months=?, 6 months =?

 

[Acre4Me]

At 36weeks/9months they should be full grown by now for sure I would think. At what point do you believe they stopped growing? Reason I ask is I am thinking of doing some heritage breeds as meat birds this year and wondering what the time frame is for them. Do you have any idea on the sizes/lbs at let's say 4months=?, 6 months =?

I've heard that BJG grow their frame first, then add muscle. I've also read that they reach their true full size/weight much later (like 16-18 months). BUT....I'm not an expert on them.

Here is a link you might enjoy to the "National Jersey Giant Club: http://nationaljerseygiantclub.com/index.cfm/home

There are articles on that site that are informative. You might also be interested in learning to caponize the young males for a large, tender, meat bird when dealing with the slower growing heritage breeds. I know there are some good threads on BYC about caponizing, and looks like there is one article in the link above to the BJG club site.

Good Luck!

 

[PennyM16]

Here’s my Jersey Giant hen, and two photos of her when she was about 4 months old.