Chicken Breed Focus - Jersey Giant

[cmorales82]

these are my lovely 7 week old JG. These are my first ones and I love them.

 

[GitaBooks]

these are my lovely 7 week old JG. These are my first ones and I love them.

So cute!

Welcome to BYC!

 

[dynomy]

[/IMG]Hi all - thsee are my two giants. Yes they are the sweetest birds. Very affectionate. They also go with the flow as it is said when I have introduced some newer birds. They have been "on strike" for at least 2 months for laying eggs. It has been very hot here (Las Vegas) so I guess it could be that? They do lay the biggest eggs I have ever seen though. Any reason why they would not be laying right now? They are 3 years old.

 

[dynomy]

Sorry this is the other bird. Pretty girl.

 

[junebuggena]

Any time you add new members to a flock it cause stress and can stop laying. Once they are comfortable and the new pecking order is firmly established, they resume laying. It's also about time for their fall molt. Most hens stop laying completely while molting. Growing in all those feathers takes up a lot of protein and energy. Some hens resume laying right after they finish molting. Some hens won't start laying again until spring is on the way. That's just the way it is with mature hens.

 

[dynomy]

Thanks for the info. About four months ago my husband bought an Easter egger from a neighbor and they were kind of spotty with laying but they did lay for about two months. The new bird laid eggs every day up until a week and a half ago. We had a really bad wind storm and then rain for a week after that. She laid two really weird looking eggs about a week apart then nothing. I guess they are headed into their winter molt now. We also have introduced some astrolorpes (3 of them about 4 1/2 months each) so not sure what will happen now. We got rid if two bantam Cornish hens to a neighbor. For a long time they were attacking all the birds and extremely mean to my polish girls. Hopefully there will be peace now.

 

[charlyschicks]

Do you think these Giants are hens--pic at 17 weeks.

 

[GitaBooks]

Do you think these Giants are hens--pic at 17 weeks.

Beautiful chickens!
Yes, they are both hens. Roosters start getting a large comb at around 10 weeks of age.

 

[charlyschicks]

Thank you so much for your reply! Oddly I picked up three at the feed store hoping to get one too! Lol!! I never hope for Roos!!

 

[bruceha2000]

Mine are 17 weeks and look similar to charley's. Good to know that they would have been obviously boys a while back. Since I've read they are slower maturing, I didn't know just HOW much slower and how that would affect when one knows their bird is NOT a boy.