White Jersey Giants

[Streetbob]

Does anyone raise White Jersey Giants for meat?

If so- what is the best age to process them to maximize weight and still have tender meat?

We have some and love them so far. But processed a couple hens at 14 weeks and only averaged 2 pounds or so dressed.

Meat is delicious and tender, but wondered if we processed too early?

 

[DemeterAD9]

The larger breeds really need much longer to reach max size. 14 weeks is probably 10 weeks too early if you want a decent dressed weight. From my understanding, about 6 months is where you want them to be before butchering.

I have four 1 month old black Jersey giant chicks and it looks like 2 hens and 2 roos. I probably won't be doing anything with them till next spring unless the roos become a problem. The hens I'll be keeping for eggs, hopefully one of the roos is well mannered enough to keep around.

 

[Streetbob]

The larger breeds really need much longer to reach max size. 14 weeks is probably 10 weeks too early if you want a decent dressed weight. From my understanding, about 6 months is where you want them to be before butchering.

I have four 1 month old black Jersey giant chicks and it looks like 2 hens and 2 roos. I probably won't be doing anything with them till next spring unless the roos become a problem. The hens I'll be keeping for eggs, hopefully one of the roos is well mannered enough to keep around.

Thanks for the reply. Meat would have to be chewy at 24 weeks wouldn’t it? Sounds like I could have either tender meat or a decent dressed weight- but can’t have both.

 

[DemeterAD9]

That's debatable. They don't reach maturity till later in life, unlike the usual breeds. For instance the average breed of chicken, say a rhode island red, has a laying/maturity age of about 4-5 months. They are still young and growing but the normal processing age of average sized breeds is right around the 20-24ish weeks. Yes younger does mean more tender meat but a bit older shouldn't be too much of an issue if the bird isn't completely fully grown. I suggest you keep raising them as is and sample them at different ages to find your preferred age.

All this coming from someone who has never butchered a chicken (not yet anyways) but from a hunter who would rather eat a younger animal over a big gnarled old animal. Squirrel in particular is pretty darn tough if it's an old one. But as an opportunistic hunter, if it comes down to it a good old crockpot left to cook all day will always make any meat fall off the bone!

 

[FunClucks]

I pressure cook any birds that are older than 5 months. That way I'll always have tender edible meat. If you're looking for large carcasses at 5-6 months or younger, Jersey Giant is not the breed to raise. They spend the first year growing their skeleton, and then they add meat to it. Very expensive total raising costs per bird for a decent sized carcass, and they're old by the time they're big.

If you don't want straight up meat birds or 3 month broilers, Freedom Ranger Hatchery has a nice selection of dual purpose or more sustainable meat birds. I'm raising their New Hampshires optimized for meat production right now - if you raise them on meat bird feed (23-24% protein) they should be ready by about 5 months for a decent sized carcass (7-10 lbs). If you raise them on 20% or lower protein, they are just a slightly heavier bodied egger. Also loving their White Rangers - like the CX but a 3m broiler with better health and livability. I bet if I raised some of those white rangers on 20% protein I could get a decent breeding flock, but we'll see.

 

[Molpet]

I had bjg and they were all frame before 6 months.
How you cook is determined by age.

I have found resting longer helps tenderize. I usually go a week

 

[MamaPoult]

I bought WJGs for meat but am unsure if they are those or Lavender Orpingtons. I will let you know how it turns out. They say JGs are slow growers but that was all I could get my hands on!

 

[AprilWC]

I breed white Giants from exhibition lines. I wouldn't expect much meat before 6 months old.

This is one of my cockerels, pictured at 8 months. He was just starting to gain some real mass.

And same male at 12 months.

This is a really terrible picture from 10 years ago of birds we butchered. I need to get an updated one of Giants next time I butcher. But left is a 5-6 month old Barred Rock, same age Jersey Giant, and 4 month CornishX. These were hatchery quality birds so already much smaller than they would be from a breeder, but gives you a realistic idea of sizing.