Jersey Giants thread for pictures and discussion

[reinvestment]

Cramping doesn't seem to bother my chickens. One hen (Austrlorp and Wyandottes) fill the nest but I have seen others push in , walk over the setting hen and I guess lay an egg. They mostly lay in one nest, the upper one, but now two are using the nest below.
Is heighth a factor in their choosing, I wonder.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Is anyone able to post a picture of a jersey giant hen compared to an average size hen? I am seriously considering getting some Jersey Giant hens in the spring, but I have no idea how big they are compared to an average size hen. Also, how good do Jersey Giant hens do with other breeds of hens? Considering they are bigger. They are such beautiful birds, and I would love to get some, but I want to learn more about them before I pursue it.

 

[Wynette]

Is anyone able to post a picture of a jersey giant hen compared to an average size hen? I am seriously considering getting some Jersey Giant hens in the spring, but I have no idea how big they are compared to an average size hen. Also, how good do Jersey Giant hens do with other breeds of hens? Considering they are bigger. They are such beautiful birds, and I would love to get some, but I want to learn more about them before I pursue it.

Well hello there, fellow Michigander! I'm from near Flint! Welcome to the Jersey Giant thread! We're not a super active breed thread, but we're here!

The first thing I'd do is most definitely, do your research. And, check out the National Jersey Giant Club - http://nationaljerseygiantclub.com/

Yes, they are big compared to "regular" hens. They take a full two years to fully mature, so many folks aren't drawn to them for that fact. They are absolutley my favorite! There are lots of good pictures of them here on this thread, and frequent discussions on Jersey Giant-related issues and questions, so feel free to peruse this thread and ask away if you have questions!

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Alright thank you! I'm not so worried about how long they take to mature. My chickens are all pets anyways, so I'm not so worried about eggs or anything. Thanks for the link as well.

I'll check it out.

 

[Slinglings]

Is anyone able to post a picture of a jersey giant hen compared to an average size hen? I am seriously considering getting some Jersey Giant hens in the spring, but I have no idea how big they are compared to an average size hen. Also, how good do Jersey Giant hens do with other breeds of hens? Considering they are bigger. They are such beautiful birds, and I would love to get some, but I want to learn more about them before I pursue it.

Red sex link, buff orp, white leg horn. The white leghorn and sex link are full grown. The Jersey Giant is about 6 months old here.


She's a little older here, her wattles are bigger


This was taken the same day as the top picture:


My JG does fine with my other birds. I just had the three hens in these photos when I got the JG, and she was at the bottom of the pecking order, everyone got along fine. I recently added 4 hens, and she has squabbled with three out of the four new ones, nothing major. She's tired of being at the bottom, I think LOL. She is a major bully to the araucana, but she doesn't hurt her. Just keeps her in her place! The JG must be twice the size of the araucana. If the araucana tries to eat near the JG, she gives her a peck on the back.

The only real issue I have with having the JG with the others is that she doesn't like to roost and everyone else does. I don't feel like I can have high roosts because she might hurt herself, and I think the others might like having high roosts. I'm starting to think though, that she wouldn't even bother trying to roost high since she doesn't really roost low..hm. Luckily she's big enough that I don't worry about her being cold at night alone. She rarely has a cuddle buddy, it's sort of sad to see her alone and the others cuddled on the roosts.

She isn't laying yet, and I'm wondering if our nest boxes are big enough for her. I may need to enlarge them.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Wow! They are quite a bit bigger. I'm not sure i'd have room for them in my little coop! My is only 8x5 and my nest boxes take up about 1x6 of that space

 

[Slinglings]

Quote: My coop is tiny, the only thing they do in there is sleep (and lay eggs). It works, but I will be getting something different very soon I hope. How many do you have in your coop now? Are they out during the day? I think that makes a huge difference in how much space they need.

I edited my first post and added some text, I don't want you to miss it You quoted my post before I was finished.

 

[FinelyFeathered]

AWE!!! I'm glad you were able to pick her up & hold her for a bit! It's definitely impressive to hold one - they are so heavy & just feel so.....FIRM!

She is gorgeous!!! Can't wait to have some of my own!! )

 

[beowulf1877]

Hello! Newbie so please excuse me if I asks dumb question. Some great birds here! I can't wait for my chicks to show up. I have 15 on order! Which leads me to my next question. How big should I make their nest boxes, and for an opening to the coop?

 

[Slinglings]

Hello! Newbie so please excuse me if I asks dumb question. Some great birds here! I can't wait for my chicks to show up. I have 15 on order! Which leads me to my next question. How big should I make their nest boxes, and for an opening to the coop?

My coop opening is standard sized (it was a kit coop, I'm not sure of the measurements, maybe 11 x 13). My JG isn't laying yet, but I think I"ll make bigger nest boxes soon. Wynette said hers are 18 x 18, but I don't know how tall. My current nests are 13 x 13. I think the JG would fit, but the height might not be comfortable for her. I think they are 14" high in front and slope down to 12" in back. They are just tall enough for my other hens.