Jersey Giant chicken farming is very popular in many areas around the world. It is a dual purpose breed which is raised and valued for both meat and eggs production. The eggs are of very large size and the breed is also very good for meat production purpose.
The Jersey Giant chicken breed was originated in the United States in the late nineteenth Century. It was created by John and Thomas Black. They were intended to replace the turkey and produce such a breed which primarily used for meat production purpose at that time.
Black Java, Black Longshans and Dark Brahmas were used for producing the Jersey Giant chicken. The breed was actually developed in New Jersey, United States around 1870s as a dual purpose bird. And they were originally called the Jersey Black Giant after the brothers who developed the breed.
The Jersey Giant chickens were very popular in the late nineteenth Century. But today they are not too popular among the poultry farmers. Because they are relatively slow maturing breed and have a poor feed to weight conversion ratio (as compared to modern broilers).
The Jersey Giant chickens come in 3 color varieties, and all the varieties are recognized by the APA’s Standard of Perfection. And among these 3 varieties, the black variety is most common and popular.
However, the quality of meat and eggs of the Jersey Giant chickens is excellent. So starting commercial Jersey Giant chicken farming business can be profitable if you can manage everything perfectly and if you can easily market your products.
How to Start Jersey Giant Chicken Farming
The Jersey Giant chickens are very large sized breed of domestic chicken. On average, a mature rooster weights about 5.9 kg, and a mature hen weights about 4.5 kg. They are also very strong and hardy birds. And they generally require less caring and other management.
So starting commercial Jersey Giant chicken farming business is relatively easy. You can start this business even if you are a beginner. Here we are trying to describe more information about starting and operating a successful Jersey Giant chicken farming business from purchasing birds to caring and marketing.
Purchase Chickens
First of all, you have to purchase very good quality, disease free and healthy birds for starting your Jersey Giant chicken farming business. You can purchase either mature birds or day old chicks depending on the price and availability in your area.
The mature birds are generally sold at a very high price in the market. But the day old chicks are much cheaper. So we recommend starting with day old chicks.
You can purchase the chicks from your nearest poultry chick suppliers, chicken breeding centers or any existing Jersey Giant chicken farms. You can also consider searching your local online classified websites.
Housing
Making a good, comfortable and secure housing system is very important for Jersey Giant chicken farming business. Because a good house not only helps the birds to stay healthy, but also helps them to stay free from all types of predators and adverse weather conditions. So try to make a good house for your chickens.
The type of the house can be any depending on your budget. It can be of full concrete setup or the house can be build of easily available and low cost materials (such as wood, bamboo etc).
Install good ventilation system inside the house. Because good ventilation system helps to reduce gas from the house and ultimately your birds remain healthy. And also ensure flow of sufficient amount of clean and fresh air inside the house.
Try to make the house in such a way so that you can easily clean the house. The Jersey Giant chickens are large in size. And each mature bird will require around or up to 7-8 square feet housing space.
Feeding
This is the most important part of Jersey Giant chicken farming business. Because good food not only helps the birds to grow better, but also helps them stay healthy and produce more. So always try to feed your chickens with good and nutritious food.
You can feed your chickens either with commercial poultry feeds or prepare the feeds of your own. Just ensure that the food is good, healthy and nutritious for the birds.
Never feed your chickens with contaminated feeds. And always try to provide them with enough clean and fresh water as per their demand.
The Jersey Giant chickens are good for raising in both confined and free range system. But raising them in free range system will help to reduce feeding costs. And at the same time it will help to improve the quality of the products.
Breeding
Like many other domestic chicken breeds, the Jersey Giant chickens are also very good breeders. They will breed easily and produce fertile eggs if you keep good ratio of hens and roosters in your flock.
Generally one mature rooster is enough for breeding around or up to 10 hens.
Caring
Taking additional caring will help the birds to grow better and produce more. So try to take good care of your birds. Monitor your birds on a regular basis for any signs of diseases or illness.
And take necessary steps as soon as possible. Vaccinate your birds timely and always try to keep good contact with a vet in your area.
Marketing
Chicken products have very good demand and value in the market throughout the world. So you don’t have to worry much about marketing your products.
You will probably be able to easily sell the products in the local market. Although you should set your marketing strategies before starting this business.
These are the common ways and steps for starting and operating a successful Jersey Giant chicken farming business. Hope this guide has helped you! Good luck & may God bless you!
