The Gentle Jersey Giant - A Sweet Tempered, Huggable Hen 77% Of Owners Would Keep Again! 😍

50% of owners surveyed reported collecting between 4-5 eggs weekly from their hens, with a further 18% collecting 6 eggs a week per hen. That's a whopping average of 260 eggs per hen yearly. More than enough to keep your home supplied with fresh, delicious eggs year-round.

Jersey Giant eggs

The Jersey Giant delivers more eggs than any other large breed of chicken - something our survey results show in spades. Expect to yield large eggs that are a light brown color and oh-so-yummy! 😍

As an important aside, due to the weight of the hens, it’s important that you take away the eggs as soon as possible once laid. This is because there is a risk of the eggs cracking under the weight of the chicken. 

Thankfully, as a sweet-natured hen, retrieving the eggs is an easy process that won’t result in pecked fingers! Making it safe for even the littlest family members to participate in collecting the eggs. 

As the Jersey Giant rarely becomes broody if you wish to breed them, you may need to use a more broody breed to incubate the eggs for hatching. If you do not keep other chicken breeds and wish to pursue hatching your eggs, make sure there is enough nesting material around to keep the eggs (and chicks) from being crushed. You will of course require a rooster within your flock to fertilize the eggs also. If you do decide to hatch some Giant Jersey chicks 🐣, this is what you can expect to see.

With so many big reasons to love Jersey Giant it's easy to see why they have achieved a four out of five-star rating in the Chicken People's Choice Awards. If you are a proud Jersey Giant owner, we’d love to hear from you so  please have your VOTE NOW!

If these oversize chickens appeal from both a look and size standpoint, wait till you hear more about their other amazing features. We’ve no doubt they’ll become your leading choice for your school, backyard, barn, or care home. 

At A Glance - Characteristics of a Jersey Giant

Size -  A fully grown Jersey Giant rooster will reach an average weight of 11 pounds, with a height between 22 and 26 inches. Hens will reach a weight between 13 and 15 pounds and can grow up to 20 inches tall. 

Purpose - Jersey Giants are fantastic performers both as layers and for meat production. A single bird can easily feed a family of four. 

Appearance - These hefty hens and roosters are beautifully round and tall with much tighter feathers, which has two advantages. First of all, they are easier to clean, which is great if you want to showcase them. It also makes them very suitable for colder climates. 

Average life span- Jersey Giants have a lifespan in excess of eight years. As with all chickens the better the coop and protection from predators the longer their lifespan will be.

Age of maturity - As the largest of all chicken breeds, Jersey Giant hens will take a little more time to reach maturity than smaller hens. You can expect to start receiving eggs around 6 months of age. 

Available colors - Jersey Giants come in black, white, and soft grey-blue colors. 

Climate Suitability - These sturdy birds are well suited to cooler climates due to their size and thick feathers. They generally struggle to thrive in hot climates with their coop needing adequate shade, ventilation, and water. 

Egg Type - Large, delicious, light to medium brown eggs weighing a little over 2 ounces each. 

Rarity -  Jersey Giant chickens are rare in as much as they are not a commonly kept backyard chicken. The breed themselves though is easy to source and inexpensive to purchase despite their bigger size. 

Is The Jersey Giant For You?

Temperament 

Don’t let the size of these birds put you off from enjoying everything they have to offer, read on to learn how their sweet temperament is their most endearing feature.

She’s Big, But She’s No Bruiser!

Due to its large size, a lot of people are under the impression that the Jersey Giant is unfriendly, but this is not true at all. The breed is known to be very docile and to have a very gentle temperament, they mix really well with other chickens and they can easily be added to an existing flock. Even the Giant Jersey roosters are relaxed with a gentle nature. 

They make great backyard pets since they are not easily upset by their surroundings and do very well around other animals or small children. Just keep in mind that children (and smaller breeds of chicken) can be intimidated by the size of the bird.

Taking care of these lovely ladies is a walk in the park. Due to their size, it is impossible for them to fly away, so no need for a covered coop, high fencing or wing clipping. They are no louder than any other chickens, and actually are rather quiet by comparison-  meaning your neighbors will not lose any sleep and neither will you! 

Do keep in mind that as the Jersey Giant is a bigger breed, they will need a bit more space than your average chicken, about 10 square feet per chicken is sufficient. 

To help in understanding how large a Jersey Giant actually is, we made these comparison charts:

Go Big, Or Go Home!

If the Jersey Giant has made it onto your shortlist, we fully support this choice!  

If you're ready to take on and experience the unique joy that is raising Jersey Giants but you’re not entirely sure where to start, we have the answers. Cluckily, our friends over at Chickenpedia have created an amazing Chicken Breeds Course. 

This extensive online course shares useful advice on choosing the right chickens for you as well as the size & frequency of eggs laid. You’ll even learn about breed personalities, and be able to use their family-friendly compatibility scale through this well-structured program. 

It really is a great way to find your perfect backyard buddies which is why I highly recommend them to all of my readers! The courses are beginner-friendly and filled with vital information to help you raise a happy, healthy flock.

Their online courses cover everything you didn’t know you need to know and then some more! From healthcare to raising baby chicks to feeding and behavior, that’ll give you the knowledge and confidence to successfully look after your chickens.

As a member, you will get access to ALL their fantastic courses. So, no need to wing it, become a confident chicken keeper. Click here to check out Chickenpedia today!