Hey all! I bought a dozen Jersey Giant hatching eggs off eBay for a broody hen and ended up with 4 chicks who are now 11 weeks. Seller included pics of their pen and parents, rooster definitely looked true to type for JG. However, the chicks have a mix of traits. I’m not even mad, I just want to know what the mix could be...
All of the chicks are very soft feathered, and large with huge feet - at 11 weeks they look and feel nearly the same size as my year old Easter Egger hens (who granted are only 4-5 lb).
Two chicks, almost certainly cockerels, look like Jersey Giants to me. They hatched with more of a tuxedo coloring and yellow beaks, have yellow skin, dark willow legs with bright yellow soles. They have single combs and wattles that have been red/well developed since about 6 weeks.
The other two were hatched solid black. They have very dark legs, but have some white patches on the soles of their feet - so white skin I guess. Their beaks, skin around their eyes, wattles (which are large) and combs were solid black but are now starting to turn red under the pigment. They seem to have pea combs though the combs look wider and wartier than my other pea comb birds. Think they might be cockerels as well.
My thought when I realized the second two chicks had white skin was that they may be Black Australorp mixes or hatchery JGs who aren’t full blooded, but the pea combs have me thrown! What do you think?
All of the chicks are very soft feathered, and large with huge feet - at 11 weeks they look and feel nearly the same size as my year old Easter Egger hens (who granted are only 4-5 lb).
Two chicks, almost certainly cockerels, look like Jersey Giants to me. They hatched with more of a tuxedo coloring and yellow beaks, have yellow skin, dark willow legs with bright yellow soles. They have single combs and wattles that have been red/well developed since about 6 weeks.
The other two were hatched solid black. They have very dark legs, but have some white patches on the soles of their feet - so white skin I guess. Their beaks, skin around their eyes, wattles (which are large) and combs were solid black but are now starting to turn red under the pigment. They seem to have pea combs though the combs look wider and wartier than my other pea comb birds. Think they might be cockerels as well.
My thought when I realized the second two chicks had white skin was that they may be Black Australorp mixes or hatchery JGs who aren’t full blooded, but the pea combs have me thrown! What do you think?
