Black Giants

[Deleted]

Has anyone ever had these? I think I want to try them this year. They lay brown eggs, are known to be great in cold weather (which we definatly have here) and mature at 10-13 pounds (females/males).

Here's the Murray description...

"This is the original Jersey Giant developed in New Jersey in the late 19th century by crossing several of the large, dark Asiatic breeds. It is a super heavy bird even a little larger than the whites. Its black plumage has a beautiful green sheen, the eyes are dark brown, shanks and toes are black except for yellow skin showing on the bottoms of the feet. With the straight red comb and tremendous size it makes an unusually handsome variety for exhibition. Hens are good layers of brown eggs and especially persistent through cold weather. Baby chicks are mostly black but do show creamy patches on the underbody, wing tips, and around the face. The white persists in the plumage until final molt of chick feathers takes place."



They definatly sound like a bird that I'd like to try. I just worry about their combs and the cold weather...

Kaza[/size]

[bergere]

Only had a couple awhile back,,,they did eat and whole lot of food compaired to other brown egg layers.
But they are pretty and the ones I had were sweet.

[Deleted]

I'd worry about their combs, too. Bergere's winter weather is mild enough, but I don't think I'd want to risk a large comb up here in the central North. Too freakin' cold and windy! My Brahmas (the roosters) even had some comb damage this winter, and they have relatively small combs. Nothing fell off, but the tips were most definitely blackened. I felt bad, but they insisted on going out in subzero weather! Stoopid birds! LOL!

~Lannie

[bergere]

Up north the weather at the old farm was more mild. Down here up in the hills we much colder weather in the winters, tons of biting icey high winds and lots of very hard frosts. But not near as bad as Lannie has it.
Though the Hens combs are fairly low...they might do ok.

[Deleted]

Yeah, having lived in your area most of my life, I have to say the winters here are much worse than over there. Although my sister (she only lives a couple miles from you) said they had a lot of really bad weather this past winter. This South Dakota cold (20 below with 40mph winds) really takes some getting used to. Sometimes the cold sucks the breath out of me when I go outside. Literally, it's so cold it's hard to breathe. I don't ever remember that in Oregon, even on the High Desert. It wouldn't be so bad if it were just really cold, but the wind here never stops, unless it's over 100 degrees and you WANT a breeze!

~Lannie

[Deleted]

Whoa, I just realized I went over a thousand posts. I'd better get off this 'puter and back to work! LOL!

[bergere]

In this area we have wind...very high winds. I am near the columbia river and it acts like a funnel speeding the wind up. Live up in the hills above it.
Have lived all over and have never been in an area where the winds get so high. Is one reason I lost a shed this last winter. 80 to 100 mph wind gusts during the many storms this winter in this area.
It depends on where one lives in OR. The family Farm down in Dallas...did not get those kind of wind gusts. Same with a friend farther in and in a Valley. We get hammered, they did not. Sigh ~~
We get a lot of snow and Ice here..where the Flat lands do not. Much colder up here. Snow and Very hard frost is normal for this hill.
Though....as far as tons of snow. NH...is even worse than AK. Had my sister in law who has lived in AK all her life...like to call me up in NH. They would have warmer weather than were we lived then..and use to brag about AK good weather..while we were getting -40* for two weeks. For much of the winter there were were in the single digets to below 0-. Only had two months of frost free weather. So I do understand long winters and bitter cold. One of the reasons we did not stay there. Other wise I would of loved to move to Maine...really liked Maine!!
Here is not so near as bad as NH..but it is a whole lot colder than the old Farm up in the Pudget sound.

[Deleted]

Well, there'd only be one rooster, the rest hens... the hens combs are very short but the rooster I'd be worried a bit. I can lock them in the chicken coop if need be.....

Kaza[/size]