odd jersey giant

[rural mouse]

Have a black jersey giant roo with red head and shoulders. 10 months old. Size comparison pics with a partridge rock hen of same age. Genetic throwback? Worth breeding? Or send to dinner table like originally planned?

 

[rascal66]

A gorgeous bird! I'd keep him for sure, unless you're trying to breed to a standard. I'm unfamiliar with the breed specifics for a jersey, so the red may throw it off, but a large bird is hard for me to turn down, especially if he's proven a decent rooster. Its up to you and your goals!

 

[MissE]

If you aren't set on having pure bred birds, and want to work on a future dual purpose barnyard mix, keep him. I think I would just to see how fast his offspring reach butch weight.

 

[DearChicken]

Beautiful roo! Jersey giants grow a lot bigger than normal breeds. Plus roosters usually grow bigger and faster than hens. So he’s probably not abnormal or anything. You could definitely breed him, but make sure the hens can handle the weight, because he’s so big. It’s really up to you (and his temperament). I had a rooster that attacked anybody if they got too close. You don’t want a heavy and big bird flying at you!

 

[SilverLacedFarmChik]

I found this thread on Jersey giant coloring…not sure if it will help you out much, but worth a read.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/black-jersey-giant-rooster.1437956/#post-23812790

 

[rural mouse]

A gorgeous bird! I'd keep him for sure, unless you're trying to breed to a standard. I'm unfamiliar with the breed specifics for a jersey, so the red may throw it off, but a large bird is hard for me to turn down, especially if he's proven a decent rooster. Its up to you and your goals!

I had 2. Other had no red. Gave him to a family with a lone RIR hen (they had just gotten chicks, mostly polish). Knew enough about RIR to know that moving the chicks into the coop with her would be a fight, so offered ar roo. Kids lit up over a "shiny black rooster". The intro was a fight. She gave just because of his size. When babies got moved, she didn't have a hissy fit. Meanwhile, my SLW roo got snatched by foxes (they took most of my hens too). Found his feathers so gathered as many as possible to give to coworker who does feather art. at this point, goal is flock guardian, which Rusty seems to be doing: pacing around the coop (babies to replace the hens in fenced enclosure inside coop), alerting to birds as small as magpies...

Beautiful roo! Jersey giants grow a lot bigger than normal breeds. Plus roosters usually grow bigger and faster than hens. So he’s probably not abnormal or anything. You could definitely breed him, but make sure the hens can handle the weight, because he’s so big. It’s really up to you (and his temperament). I had a rooster that attacked anybody if they got too close. You don’t want a heavy and big bird flying at you!

New hens: hatcheries choice assortment plus freebie: 16 birds. 1 didn't make it more than a few hours past unboxing. 1 died at 2 weeks (suspect failure to thrivea s it wasn't the smallest on arrival, but was at death). Of the new birds, 2 golden Wyandotte, 2 Houdan, 1 dorking, 1 Dominique, 1 cuckoo maran?, 1 gold penciled hamburg?, 1 welsummer, 1 RIR, 1 silver Phoenix? 1 more chipmunk (greenish legs, rose/pea comb), 2 starteda s fluffy yellow chicks (single comb, slate legs, getting blue/grey undertone). No idea which was the freebie

 

[rural mouse]

I found this thread on Jersey giant coloring…not sure if it will help you out much, but worth a read.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/black-jersey-giant-rooster.1437956/#post-23812790

Thanks. Tells me he's certainly off genetically . He got the size though. And the larger black hen had the same eye color as both boys....sadly she was one who got nabbed. might be worth trying to hatch eggs just for the size (and I don't have another roo atm)