The largest chicken breed recognized in America, the Jersey Giant was bred in New Jersey in the 1870s-80s to replace the turkey on the holiday table — roosters reach 13 pounds and hens 10. Docile to the point of placid, they're easy to handle and too heavy to bother flying, so ordinary fencing holds them. Hens lay extra-large brown eggs and will go broody, though their weight makes them clumsy setters that sometimes break their own eggs. They grow slowly and eat a lot, and do best in cooler climates where their bulk is an asset.
Beginner friendly
Quiet breed
Good with kids
Cold hardy
Broody
Egg colorBrown
Egg production150–200 / year
TemperamentDocile
BroodinessFrequent
ClimateCold hardy
PurposeEggs, Meat
Weight
Large fowl (Standard size)
Hen10–11 lb
Rooster13–15 lb
Bantam (Miniature size)
Hen2.1 lb
Rooster2.4 lb
How to spot it
CombSingle
Single comb with six points
Earlobes
Red
Legs & feet
Black legs with yellow foot bottoms (black variety) or dark willow (blue); yellow skin, four toes
Look for
Sheer bulk on a long, deep, flat-backed frame — plus yellow soles under black shanks, the trait breeders check first
Single
