Jersey Giants thread for pictures and discussion

[Saris]

Look like pullets to me. Saris, the ratty feathers can be due to feather mites or another chicken pulling feathers.

Thank you!

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I know the photo quality is poor but my FIL bought these as Jersey Giant pullets that hatched in Nov. which would put them at about 6 months old? They're tail feather area is super ratty and torn up and to me ( I have zero experience with the breed) they look like younger roos. He says the lady he bought them from say they take a really long time to mature but I'm starting to doubt this. I only see the birds about once a week.

Here they are when he got them




Here is the bigger one now. It's shoulder feathers are lovely with a nice green sheen, but its back, neck and tail feather still look pretty shredded.


Thoughts please.

For what ever it's worth, my JG typically has a ratty tail too. I think it's because she's SOOOO BIG, that it gets messed up when she jams herself in the 12" by 12" nest box to lay her egg. She usually preens it back into place later in the day.

Your girls are not that big yet. But I wonder if they are rubbing their tails up against a wood wall at night on the roost or something like that?

 

[Beer can]

@Saris "He says the lady he bought them from say they take a really long time to mature but I'm starting to doubt this."

Yes they take a long time to mature, but they still get BIG at six months, hard to tell from your pics but they don't look big?? I'm new to the breed also, just thinking mine were huge at six months, just didn't weigh much, twice the size of my Sussex, but only weighed a pound more, they take a long time to put on weight/meat.

 

[Saris]

@Saris "He says the lady he bought them from say they take a really long time to mature but I'm starting to doubt this."

Yes they take a long time to mature, but they still get BIG at six months, hard to tell from your pics but they don't look big?? I'm new to the breed also, just thinking mine were huge at six months, just didn't weigh much, twice the size of my Sussex, but only weighed a pound more, they take a long time to put on weight/meat.

They are TALL, with ginormous feet and freaky long toes. But they aren't heavy like I would expect them to be and are shaped like gawky teenagers.

 

[cabinchicky]

@Saris "He says the lady he bought them from say they take a really long time to mature but I'm starting to doubt this."

Yes they take a long time to mature, but they still get BIG at six months, hard to tell from your pics but they don't look big?? I'm new to the breed also, just thinking mine were huge at six months, just didn't weigh much, twice the size of my Sussex, but only weighed a pound more, they take a long time to put on weight/meat.

They are TALL, with ginormous feet and freaky long toes. But they aren't heavy like I would expect them to be and are shaped like gawky teenagers.

Large fowl grow their body mass later on. Yours are probably in the teenage stage, they put on weight and fill out after 18 months. Get ready! Have LF Cochins that are getting hefty at 8 lbs now. Giants in my incubator with 2 weeks to go. Been wanting this breed for 3 years n I went crazy chicken lady to get em.

 

[Beer can]

I only ended up with a trio worthy of breeding, would have had two more good pullets but one had a dislocated hip, hawk took the other. They won't be a yr old till July, but have one that went broody should be hatching nine any day now.
Had some early quitters in the 'bator, looks like I'll have thirteen giant's, five giant silkie crosses and two giant polish crosses make it to lockdown, six days to go on them

 

[Saris]

Large fowl grow their body mass later on. Yours are probably in the teenage stage, they put on weight and fill out after 18 months. Get ready! Have LF Cochins that are getting hefty at 8 lbs now. Giants in my incubator with 2 weeks to go. Been wanting this breed for 3 years n I went crazy chicken lady to get em.

Thank you. He wants this breed so bad. If they end up being boys then I will be hunting for some more for him. Do they start laying around 18 months?

 

[cabinchicky]

Large fowl grow their body mass later on. Yours are probably in the teenage stage, they put on weight and fill out after 18 months. Get ready! Have LF Cochins that are getting hefty at 8 lbs now. Giants in my incubator with 2 weeks to go. Been wanting this breed for 3 years n I went crazy chicken lady to get em.

Thank you. He wants this breed so bad. If they end up being boys then I will be hunting for some more for him. Do they start laying around 18 months?

Generally LF start laying later than standard fowl, usually around 8 or 9 months if I recall correctly.

 

[Beer can]

Mine started laying around 7 months, in cold dark dreary winter February.

 

[cabinchicky]

Mine started laying around 7 months, in cold dark dreary winter February.

Thank you ! Current LF I have are not Giants yet. Incubating mine now.