Jersey Giants thread for pictures and discussion

[Wynette]

Oh gosh, that's so funny...I think when I mentioned weight I was remembering AGE. BA HAHA!

I am unsure how heavy my cock birds are. I haven't weighed them for way too long!

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

Has anybody capon-ized a roo here?

 

[silkiechicken]

I haven't, but hear it is still popular to do in europe.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

I haven't, but hear it is still popular to do in europe.

I saw some processed capons at Safeway last month. I know that once a rooster is a capon he turns hen-like.

Unfortunately, my JG roo just needs to learn the difference between a large mustard leaf and a hen..............LOL

 

[silkiechicken]

LOL. Young boys can't control their hormones or targets apparently.

Capons seem to be like the "fancy" upscale table fair as of recent, but they sure aren't cheap. Some say they taste better, are meatier, and have more flavor than "regular" chickens, but I think that initial comparison is done against your farm yard bird of the past. Any older bird will have more flavor than the meat birds that are commercially grown for like 6 weeks, and if those store capons are just castrated Cornish x's... their hormones have barely kicked in by slaughter time in the first place. LOL

Speaking of bird weights, what makes these JG's so amazing is that they are a healthy vibrant normal moving and running chicken that comes in at over 10lbs! The meat birds I've raised to over 10lbs at like 3 months old were just lazy lumps. These guys are huge AND act like yard birds! I do love how sweet the meat birds are and they will still come running, but their sad waddling over in excitement is both sad and funny at the same time.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

LOL. Young boys can't control their hormones or targets apparently.

Capons seem to be like the "fancy" upscale table fair as of recent, but they sure aren't cheap. Some say they taste better, are meatier, and have more flavor than "regular" chickens, but I think that initial comparison is done against your farm yard bird of the past. Any older bird will have more flavor than the meat birds that are commercially grown for like 6 weeks, and if those store capons are just castrated Cornish x's... their hormones have barely kicked in by slaughter time in the first place. LOL

Speaking of bird weights, what makes these JG's so amazing is that they are a healthy vibrant normal moving and running chicken that comes in at over 10lbs! The meat birds I've raised to over 10lbs at like 3 months old were just lazy lumps. These guys are huge AND act like yard birds! I do love how sweet the meat birds are and they will still come running, but their sad waddling over in excitement is both sad and funny at the same time.

I remember giving a townsfolk some evil Dorkings cockerels. She put them in the pot and said they tasted better than any of her Broilers she has ever had. I've heard good remarks about meaty heritage breeds or "the original meat birds".

 

[silkiechicken]

Ah, I take it you've never turned one of your excess boys or old girls into soup. The flavor is delightful! Of course, it may take getting used to if you are not used to how strong of a flavor they can have. They don't even have to be meaty. Just takes a few more. Like 2 silkies vs one leghorn rooster.

 

[Framac]

Wynette's right! They are just shy of 7 months in those pics! However they are just a tad heavier than 7.5 and 8.5 lbs. As best as I could weigh them, one was 10.5, and the other was 11.5! So I just call them about 11lbs each! At just 7 months! They are going to be some monsters as adults! Wynette's got some HUGE stock!

Wynette, how heavy is your boy?

Gorgeous Birds. Do you have many blue pullets? I just love the coloring on the Blues.

 

[Wynette]

Framac, my heart is with the blues! You really do need blacks to cross in, though - that makes the lacing better on the blues. This year, I ran a blue cock bird with black (and one splash) hen. In the spring, I'll do my hatching early (I'm planning on putting around 80 - 100 chicks on the ground), and then I want to hold back the best black cockerel and put him in with some nice blue hens - I'm curious about whether the offspring will look the same from both pens or not.

Capons - my menor, Sher, caponizes her cull males and has has extremely good luck with it. She actually even sells them to folks for pets! They stop crowing, and turn into feathered puppy dogs, apparently.

 

[Slinglings]

What age do Jersey Giant hens start to lay? Mine is the same age as SilkieChicken's JG. She still looks like a baby to me (a big baby)