Jersey Giant

[guardianoftheflock]

How long does it take for Jersey giants to reach a butchering kind of size if that is what you want to do with them?

 

[Mosey2003]

Jersey Giants are very large birds. The thing about very large birds is that they grow their large frame first, and then fill out with muscle later. You would have to grow them quite a bit longer than the 18-24 weeks that most people butchering dual purpose do.

 

[Folly's place]

There will be a range in sizes, and to that 'finished' look. Traditionally, the smaller thicker cockerels were butchered first, and the birds with the largest frames were kept longest, or for breeding. They grow large and lean, and then fill out, and can take over a year to reach full size.
I've only kept hens, and like them a lot.
Mary

 

[guardianoftheflock]

Thank you for your replies!!

 

[Acre4Me]

How long does it take for Jersey giants to reach a butchering kind of size if that is what you want to do with them?

I’ve got 20 week old male and female (1 of each) BJG. When reading up on the breed, sounds like males would sometimes be caponized to get an even larger bird (I read up to 25 lbs for a caponized male). I think they were developed to be a large table bird kind of like a turkey.

FWIW, my 20 week old BJG male is noticeably larger than the female and twice as tall or even taller than my other 5 breeds. The only exception is my Black Australorp male (also 20 weeks old) which is maybe only 25% smaller overall than the BJG male. My BJGs are sexually maturing more slowly it appears than the others. The female has only just barely started to exhibit hints of pink in her face (comb not at all), and the male is only crows now and again and remains pretty docile and mild mannered.

 

[Mosey2003]

Have you felt him up to see how meaty he is or isn't yet, Acre4Me?

 

[Acre4Me]

Have you felt him up to see how meaty he is or isn't yet, Acre4Me?

No. We have a hands off approach to the 2 males (BA and BJG). We are taking the BJGs to the fair soon, and they might get weighed then. From hatch the BJGs were larger but bonier and not heavier than the other chicks when young. They are both larger still, but with all the feathers hard to say they are bonier, and the male makes a definite “thud” that you can feel when he jumps down from the lowest roost bar (which is only 12-16” off the coop floor). His legs are enormous!

If you want to see first few weeks of pics, I posted weekly against a white backdrop. Search “chicks with pics” and that should get you to most of them (Feb 28th hatch date, with pics posted through April). I also posted under breed section on their feet as BAs and BJGs are similar, particularly when young, but BAs have lighter color feet bottoms and BJGs have yellow feet bottoms.

 

[guardianoftheflock]

I’ve got 20 week old male and female (1 of each) BJG. When reading up on the breed, sounds like males would sometimes be caponized to get an even larger bird (I read up to 25 lbs for a caponized male). I think they were developed to be a large table bird kind of like a turkey.

FWIW, my 20 week old BJG male is noticeably larger than the female and twice as tall or even taller than my other 5 breeds. The only exception is my Black Australorp male (also 20 weeks old) which is maybe only 25% smaller overall than the BJG male. My BJGs are sexually maturing more slowly it appears than the others. The female has only just barely started to exhibit hints of pink in her face (comb not at all), and the male is only crows now and again and remains pretty docile and mild mannered.

Thank you for your reply!! They always help!