Jersey Giant - tail question

[apowell]

We have 6 Jersey Giant pullets (?) about 3 months old. 1 of them has developed with a tail that is clearly different than the others. The black giant below has a very upright and pronounced tail. The other five have smaller "flatter" tails like the blue below. The difference was noticible early on. At first we thought it was a difference in ages, but the other 5 never caught up to "the crow"

Is this a rooster / hen thing? Or is there that much variation within the breed?

 

[Buckgawk]

If that was a rooster he would probably be crowing by now.

 

[apowell]

So the tail variation is "normal"?

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I only have one JG so I'm FAR FAR FAR from an expert. But went back and looked at my photos of her growing up and she had a fairly prominent tail that for the most part, she carried upright.

She's a hatchery bird, no idea which one. And she tips the scales at 7lbs 5oz. so she's small for a JG. Although, I'm kind of glad. She's already so big and barely fits in her nest box. She comes out of there with her tail feathers all frazzled after she lays and once she gets a chance to preen, she puts them back right.

I LOVE her to pieces. She's smart and sassy and cracks me up. But I fear she's my last JG. She's just BIG for a small city flock and we call her Backhoe chicken because she digs up my rose bushes (yes, the whole stinking bush) she'll dig down about 8 inches and dig up dozens of daffodil bulbs and launch them all over the yard. And don't get me started on the meteor sized craters she makes when she dust bathes. My three Orpingtons stand around and watch her dust bath and wait for her to finish and then the three of them jump into her crater and use it together.

 

[Dee Dee 2]

Got a good laugh from your post about your J.G. Thought I wanted a couple but will rethink that now. How are they with egg production ?

 

[bazza56]

Giants are my favorite breed. i was part of the group that got the blues into the standard. There are many levels of Giants from hatchery birds to show champions bought right out of the cage at the show. They grow painfully slow 3 years until you see the final form sometimes. They are good layers through the winter and are my favorite birds. i already said that sorry

 

[honeykat1]

Orders hatching eggs from a breeder here in ontario. She sells GJ eggs for $3ea. Not sure I should have ordered them seems they year everything up and leave crater size holes. Lol

 

[HaHaFarms]

My gosh, your post cracks me up! I just found out I may have 2 Jersey giant Pullets looking forward to the adventures ahead!… I have to put rocks in the corner of their run because of the size hole they are digging! Looking forward to the adventures ahead!

 

[HennyPennyFFA]

Hello I'm new to the BYC family and I have rasied a few jersey Giants and my rooster did not start crowing tell about 9-10 months old

 

[chickygirl1765]

Love my giants. I have white giants. They are so sweet! Mine started crowing at 7 months and hens just started laying as well.