White Jersey Giants

[JRNash]

I hope he makes it.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

There's a place with an oxygen chamber for small animals! He's drinking water and breathing in there!! They charge like $20/hr for using it and take care of him while he's in there. Figures I'd find a chicken SPA in SoCal also, that vet was a total hack. No wonder he wanted my rooster for himself. The drugs he gave me are ILLEGAL and there's malpractice lawsuits against him. Yikes.

Jersey boy perked up from a purple faced, weak, listless and sad ball of limp feathers to red faced and tall in about 20 minutes. He's not out of the woods yet, but they'll administer his drugs for me today and keep him for a few hours to make sure he's hydrated and eating. I was going to euthanize him just an hour before. Even walking in there, I felt like it was The End. He's still got some fight left, it seems. Go big or go home, right?

 

[JRNash]

That's Great!!!!!

 

[Amelia Egghart]

He passed in my boyfriend's arms moments after they took him out of the chamber. Necropsy is in progress. In retrospect, I'm thinking he might have had genetic issues. His high pitched voice, his crow had a wheeze, he gurgled in his throat, his alarm call was higher pitched than the girls. I'll post the results and let the breeder know. Poor little giant soul.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

He had a node on his trachea where it splits. Could have been cancerous or benign, but it caught fungus and the fungal infection is what caused the swelling that blocked his airway. The doctor thought the node would have been responsible for lots of heartache later on in life as he grew.

 

[JRNash]

amazing

 

[JRNash]

How is he doing Amelia?

 

[JRNash]

This is Big Boy. he is around 25 weeks old

 

[Beer can]

He passed in my boyfriend's arms moments after they took him out of the chamber. Necropsy is in progress. In retrospect, I'm thinking he might have had genetic issues. His high pitched voice, his crow had a wheeze, he gurgled in his throat, his alarm call was higher pitched than the girls. I'll post the results and let the breeder know. Poor little giant soul.

Sorry to here that. Might be something giants are predisposed to, giant animals of all breeds of animals seem to have more health problems. Something I'll keep a eye out for. What breed is your other roo? Will you get a Giant again? Why don't you eat eggs, strict vegan or just don't like them? I can't let mine free range, too many predators here, lost many ducks and all Guinea hens and a few chickens free ranging, now I have mine in a 14 foot by fifty foot enclosed run that I keep moving, hoping by spring planting season May here they have a 100'x100' section cleared out and fertilized, going way big on veggie garden next year.
Love your 'nome de plume' what conspiracy theory do you believe on Amelia Earhart's disappearance? I've read some doozys either in Smithsonian mag or Archaeology mag, don't remember witch one but it was a great article.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Amelia who?

My property is a slope and I put a small citrus/stone fruit grove in, so unfortunately the mobile run strategy would only work small scale. Veggies grow great in poop, though! I ferment big piles and then throw them in the compost to cook before dumping that black gold into the garden. Would be much easier your way, though, and lower predator risk as well.

Today has been hard without my Jersey. My other rooster is an Easter Egger named Nero. They were best buddies. Nero was and is top roo, but the dynamic has shifted. Jersey contributed much of the personality to the flock, his presence was so enormous.

I'll get another, but after Nero's reign ends, I don't want to stress my small group with a foreign rooster. I just love his face and expression, his massive chest size and yet graceful walk. Maybe from a private breeder rather than a hatchery. I did email Cackle so they'd know, if they even track these things. No response yet, but I think they will appreciate the information, just in case there's a recurring issue with their stock. He was perfect in every other way (the lone black feather was just a teenager thing).

I've learned my mother had no idea how to cook eggs, so I'm eating them frequently now. Cuts into egg sales but I save money by not buying other things!

Here's Nero and Jersey at about 7 months old:

<3