Jersey Black Giant Chicken

The Jersey Giant is considered the largest of all dual-purpose chicken breeds and largest purebred chicken breed. While they are considered a dual purpose breed, they Jersey Giant excels as a meat bird because of it's massive size. The males weigh in up to 13 pounds and the hens can be as heavy as 10, though they do not reach full maturation until about 8 or 9 months.

Though they are not revered for their egg production, Jersey Giants will lay more eggs than most other heavy breeds. The eggs produced will usually be brown and extra large.

As their name suggests, Jersey Giants were developed in the late 19th century in Burlington County, New Jersey. They were developed by selective crossing of Black Javas, Black Langshans, and Dark Brahmas to create a breed with an enormous frame, yellow skin, and a single comb. The intention was to breed a chicken that could be substituted for the turkey on the table.