Jersey Giants thread for pictures and discussion

[kathyinmo]

Hmmm, I've never heard of it ... because there isn't ANY gold in Giants, is there? None that I know of.

 

[seminolewind]

I don't know. Maybe I have the wrong breed?

 

[chickenshagg]

Like I said before I don't know much but I have been doing some searching on these Jersey Giants and it does seem that there can be some other colors that appear on a pure line. If you look at how the Blue Jerseys were developed they came from a line of pure White Jerseys and one hen had a "sport" of grey feathers on her back. It was said that line was pure for 40 years when that coloration occured. That hen was then bred back to a black which then led to multiple colors in the offspring which then were selected for their coloring and bred to get the line of Blue Jersey Giants. With all that being said if the Jerseys were developed by cross breeding Black Javas, Brahmas, and Langshans then there are some Brahmas that have the copper gold feathering to them. So with that being said I don't think that it would be too much of a stretch to think that some distant trait could show itself again.
Of course this could all be hog wash as I am not a breeder and I am just begining to learn about this breed. Please don't take this as me saying that you are wrong, I am only trying to put some other thoughts and ideas out there as to why this rooster has this coloring. I will send a message to the lady that bred these chickens and ask her what she can tell me. I talked to her at the auction and my impression was that these were true Jersey Giants. She had some older ones there also but I did not look at them. I had my choice of what I wanted so for reasons unknown to me I chose the three youngest ones they had grooped together. Later I had the thought that I should have bought the older ones for the same price.
I would like to say that my big roo with the copper is a true Jersey Giant but even if that turns out not to be true he is a good looking bird!

Again, like many of us here just trying to learn and have some fun doing it!

 

[kathyinmo]

We can learn together!

All I have to go by is the APA Standard of Perfection book, and what I read online! I am lacking in experience, for sure! We will have to ask Wynette ... she will know. I will PM her, and have her check in on us!

 

[ckbythesea]

I just got my pullets last summer, and one is a black Jersey Giant. She is so beautiful, but none of the pictures I've taken do justice to the lovely irridescent green on her black feathers. Her first eggs were BIG, often with double yolks. Now, she lays 5 days a week or so, still BIG eggs. They look funny in the carton next to those from my other girls! I think it is odd that she is low on the pecking order but my largest bird. I think the roost in my coop is a little too high for her, with her bigger wings and her weight. She is also very skittish, the only one I have that won't let me pick her up (if only I was lighter and faster, I'm sure I could).

I would get this breed again, if I add to my little flock.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
So I wonder how you can get that "sport" to create a solid gold JG?

 

[Wynette]

I'd think the one with copper coloring is a cross...I've seen thousands of Jerseys, and have never seen one with copper hackles. The fact that he's got copper hackles AND saddles tells me he's a cross, too, because typically if you get a "sport" color, it's either solid or hackles only. That's just my experience, though. He's a beautiful roo! He actually reminds me a lot of my copper black marans rooster! If he were mine, I'd find out from the breeder what other breeds he has...ask in a curious way, and you may find he has something that could have put these feathers on in a cross situation. Accidents happen!

If it IS a sport, though, gosh, that's a LOT of copper feathering - would be neat to develop a copper colored Jersey!

 

[seminolewind]

Copper Jersey or copper splash black Jersey!

 

[chickenshagg]

I contacted the woman that I got My Black Jersey Giants from and asked if there was a chance that my roo with the gold/copper feathers could be a cross breed. She said that there is no way that he could have been a cross from her and that the Lady that she originally got her flock started from only had pure bred Jerseys. She also said that at one time she had a hen that had some gold on her feathers as well.

With that being said how can I breed for this coloring? Would I breed with a Black or maybe a white Jersey Giants?

 

[kathyinmo]

I don't know genetics, but I would venture to guess ... black. Maybe you could post a thread about it, and ask the genetics experts.