PORTERFIELD EXOTICS

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Black Jersey Giant Cock

Blue Jersey Giant Hen

  Jersey Giants are the largest breed of chicken.  They were developed between 1870 and 1890 by John and Thomas Black in Burlington County, New Jersey and officially recognized by the APA in 1922.  Their breeding program included Black Javas, Black Langshans, and Dark Brahmas.  There are now three recognized colors -- black, white, and blue.  Jerseys as a breed are very calm and docile.  Jersey Giant chicks tend to mature slower than other breeds due to their size.  For the first 6 months, they are primarily growing their skeletons to support their adult weight.  Up to six weeks, they are about the same size as other breeds, but from there you can notice they are getting larger.  At about 4 months they are gangly and kind of thin, but by 9 months they have started filling out their muscles.   Jerseys reach their full adult weight between 18-24 months.  Both sexes have single combs, the comb, wattles, and earlobes should be red.  Feathers should be of a single color without any red or yellow present, and black and blue birds cannot have more than 1/2 in. of positive white showing on the surface.  The skin should be yellow, as also the bottoms of the feet.   Eyes should be dark brown to black.  Beaks for black and blue should be black with the tip of the beak showing some yellow.  Hens lay large to extra-large brown eggs that are pale cream to dark brown in color.  They tend to start laying later than other breeds.  They  may go broody, but aren't very successful at hatching young.   It's recommended to incubate any Jersey eggs you wish to hatch.

  We currently have a small breeding group of the blacks started and plan to add the whites and blues some time in the future.