Jersey Giants thread for pictures and discussion

[cokraiser]

I have a black giant I got early spring who is still not laying. She is always with my EE rooster and does not lay. She is very flighty like my rooster and the weirdest thing is the rooster mounts all my chickens but will NEVER mount my giant... Any thoughts?

 

[cokraiser]

I have a black giant I got early spring who is still not laying. She is always with my EE rooster and does not lay. She is very flighty like my rooster and the weirdest thing is the rooster mounts all my chickens but will NEVER mount my giant... Any thoughts?

. She looks young in this pic but it is very old sorry

 

[chambe94]

Jersey's are slow to mature, so she might just not be ready yet. If you live in the north she might not start to lay until spring unless she is under lights.
The rooster isn't breeding her because she's not laying yet. They can tell.
How red are her comb and wattles? They will get bright red right before she starts laying.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Quote:
Originally Posted by cokraiser


. She looks young in this pic but it is very old sorry

Jersey Giants take an extraordinarily long time to mature. I have four hens who hatched almost seven months ago, and we've gotten two eggs so far. Two. I'm sure they'll pick up the pace after the equinox. Be patient, and feed your giants lots of good protein.

 

[cokraiser]

Thanks guys I think she lauded her first today but the rooster still leaves her be.

 

[giantsndottes]

I have a dilemma. I have an 8.5 month old bjg hen who is awesome. She started limping and had our vet look at her. She is not in pain but vet determined that she dislocated her leg from pelvis. She hobbles around ok and still roosts. Keep or cull?

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I have a dilemma. I have an 8.5 month old bjg hen who is awesome. She started limping and had our vet look at her. She is not in pain but vet determined that she dislocated her leg from pelvis. She hobbles around ok and still roosts. Keep or cull?

I remember reading an article by Sher Jennings that recommended Giants not be on any kind of a roost, and not have anything in their yard higher than a couple of feet, so as to not injure themselves when they land. I tried to find it, and couldn't, but I suspect it's one of the articles on this page http://nationaljerseygiantclub.com/index.cfm/pageid/27

Anyhow, I wouldn't cull just yet. But I would keep her, and any other Giants you have, from roosting.

I know, it's opposite to everything we've been taught about what keeps chickens happy. And yes, they generally do still have the roosting instinct. That said, I've got my Giants in an old playhouse that we've raised a couple feet on cement blocks. The floor is hardware cloth covered by a few inches of wood chips. There are no roosts, and the birds like it just fine.

 

[SirUlrichsMom]

I bought an Amish built coup that had nest boxes and a small roosting area for all my chickens for the winter, (it was easier to insulate and clean than my 2 larger houses and my birds don't need all the extra space during the cold winter nights) anyhow..... the roosting area is only about 10" of the floor but most of my jerseys prefer to huddle into the nest boxes at the end of the house or squeeze under the roosting area (they are still young, not yet a year old) with the exception of one of the roosters. while my red cross/production red/comet hens just about all roost. I'm not sure exactly what they are just guessing by hatchery website pics. i bought them from an Amish lady that a friend of mine works with, but they are egg laying machines and they are hilarious, so I love them.
they all seem very pleased where they sleep, if I go out late at night to check on them and disturb them from their spots they always go back to where they had been.

when summer time comes I will move my Amish hens back into one of the big houses, but I have to take roost out of the other before the JG can go in. I don't want any injuries.

 

[giantsndottes]

Thanks for advice. I raise giants, and when I say roost, they are on double stacks of hay that we change out every 2 months. I decided to cull her because it was pitiful to watch her to try and keep of with her flock. Was going to be a matter of time that she was going to be eaten. She is in chicken heaven.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Thanks for advice. I raise giants, and when I say roost, they are on double stacks of hay that we change out every 2 months. I decided to cull her because it was pitiful to watch her to try and keep of with her flock. Was going to be a matter of time that she was going to be eaten. She is in chicken heaven.

Sorry to hear that.
The grimmest reality of chicken keeping is when it comes time to cull. But we all face it eventually.

I've got a mixed cockerel hanging in my laundry room right now. I've got to clean him right after this. :/
But he was a nasty one, so... it was going to happen sooner rather than later.