Both Jersey Giants and Brahma are large-sized chicken breeds that were created through crossbreeding to yield more meat per chicken.
Since these are ideal for back-yard poultry, therefore, they are often compared for their relative traits.
That said, both these chickens take several months to fully mature, making them unsuitable for commercial purposes.
Which is why It is highly likely that you may have never heard of these breeds before.
Nevertheless, it’s best to understand how these breeds were established, before comparing them. So, let’s first discuss:
What Are Brahma Chickens?
Brahmas are an American Breed of chickens with a unique but somewhat controversial history.
The chickens were established when American Poultry experts crossbred Malaysian Gray Chittagong Chickens with Cochin chickens imported from Shanghai Port, China.
Earlier, these chickens were called at least twelve different names causing several issues.
Brahma chickens became popular and remained the principal meat source up until the 1930s.
In fact, American breeders sent Brahma Chickens as a Gift to Queen Victoria of England in 1852.
Later, the English bred a darker subtype of Brahma that was exported back to America.
Currently, there are several accepted Brahma breeds including Light, Dark, Buff Brahma chickens.
These chickens vary in size and color, but not much in their behavior.
What Is The Biggest Brahma Chicken?
Light Brahma Chickens are considered the biggest Brahma Chickens.
Now, a Light Brahma has a white base color with black hackles and golden-orange bandings.
A typical rooster weighs about 11 pounds and can grow as tall as 2 feet.
Females are slightly shorter than males and can weigh as much as 9.5 pounds.
Even Light Brahma Cockerels and Pullets weigh about 9lbs and 8lbs, respectively.
In contrast, Dark and Buff Brahmas are about 10 pounds in weight and grow only 1.7 feet high.
A light Brahma is roughly 1 pound heavier than other kinds of Brahma Chickens.
Now that we know what brahma chickens are
Let’s look at what jersey giant chickens are
What Are Jersey Giant Chickens?
Jersey Giants are crowned as the heaviest domestic chicken breeds in America.
The breed first emerged in the 1870s, when two brothers John Black and Thomas Black tried to create a poultry breed large enough to replace Turkeys in Burlington County, New Jersey.
Honoring Black brothers, these chickens were called Black Giants.
Later, they were named “Jersey Black Giants” and got popular as “Jersey Giants”.
Apparently, Jersey Giants were created by crossbreeding Dark Brahmas, Black Javas, and Langshan.
Some poultry experts also suggest the involvement of Orpingtons.
Currently, there are at least three Jersey Giant subtypes namely White, Black, and Blue Jersey Giants.
All variants take at least six months to grow merely in stature.
After this, the muscles develop giving each Jersey Giant ample meat to feed an entire family.
As we know roosters are exceptionally aggressive, so what about jersey giant roosters?
Are they aggressive?
Are Jersey Giant Roosters Aggressive?
Surprisingly, not at all.
In fact, Jersey Giant Roosters are so calm and tame that one can even put several roosters in a single flock.
They are also extremely tolerant of other species.
Also, compared to other roosters, Jersey Giants are relatively quiet and easier to handle.
Now, let’s compare the two chicken breeds. Or, determine:
The Difference Between a Brahma Chicken and a Jersey Giant Chicken
Since the two breeds are created through selective breeding. Therefore, they share the same scientific taxa and are differentiated only through their physical characteristics.
Still, scientific classification shows the close link between Brahma and Jersey Giants (See figure 1).
Figure 1: Representing the close link between Jersey Giants and Brahma Chickens as two breeds of the same species.
The breeds can be differentiated on their physical traits and requirements in the following way:
1. Differences In Appearance
| Jersey Giant Chickens | Brahma Chicken | |
| General Appearance | Largest chicken breeds with massive but tight bodies and erect posture.
Their heads are significantly smaller than their bodies. |
Often called the King of all Chickens. Their bodies form a distinctive narrow V from the side.
Their heads are exceptionally large compared to their bodies. They have “Beetle Brow” with foreheads reaching above eyes, giving them a mean appearance. |
| Classification | These have three accepted varieties including White, Black, and Blue Chickens.
However, Blue Jersey Giants are often called blue-laced giants as their feathers have lace-like dark edges. Black Jersey is normally one pound heavier than others. |
These are classified based on their base body colors with contrasting black hackles edged in respective base-colored feathers.
The American Poultry Association recognizes three Brahmas: Light, Dark, and Buff. However, Australian Poultry recognizes Blue, Black, Partridge, Barred as well as Creole varieties. |
| Parent Breeds | These were created from selective breeding of Black Javas, Black Langshan, Dark Brahmas as well as Orpingtons. | These were created from breeding Cochins and Gray Chittagong Chickens. |
| Size | These are about 15 pounds in weight and grow as tall as 2.5 feet. | These are about 11 pounds in weight and grow as tall as 2 feet. |
| Beak, wattles, and combs | Their beaks are short and sturdy with a yellow tinge at tips; wattles are red and moderate-sized; combs are single & red. | Their beaks are hard yellow.
Wattles are small or moderate-sized. They have small pea-combs limiting cold exposure. |
| Legs, Feet, and Shanks | Featherless legs, willow-colored shanks but yellow soles. | Thick-feathered legs, yellow shanks but have pale yellow or white soles. |
| Skin & Plumage | Skin is pale yellow with black plumage giving beetle-green sheen in the sunlight.
The feathers are tightly packed giving perfect shape from the side. However, feathers are not strong enough to allow flight. |
Skin is yellow with extensive plumage of down feathers covered with bulky contour feathers. Thereby, giving Brahma a larger appearance.
Despite having strong feathers, Brahma chickens are too heavy to fly. |
| Eyes and senses | Eyes are dark brown, hearing is moderate. | Eyes are reddish-brown; Hearing is moderate. |
| Voice | Quieter than other chickens but noisier than Brahmas. | Extremely quiet chickens. |
| Eggs | Large dark brown eggs.
Hens produce 2-4 legs per week from 6 months of age and about 160-200 eggs annually. |
Medium-sized soft brown eggs.
Hens produce 2-3 eggs per week from about 8 months of age and about 150 eggs annually. |
| Gender Differentiation | Males are larger than females. Normally, males weigh 15 pounds and grow as tall as 2.3 feet.
Meanwhile, females are 12 pounds in weight and grow about 1.8 feet in height. Males take longer to mature compared to females. |
Males are larger than females. Normally, males weigh 11 pounds and grow as tall as 2 feet.
Meanwhile, females are 9.5 pounds in weight and grow about 1.5 feet in height. Males also have black-stripped saddle feathers. However, the gender difference is most apparent among dark Brahma where the rooster has black and white hackles and tails. Also, the primary feathers are white-edged. In contrast, females have dark-gray and black penciled coloration. |
2. Differences In Habitat Preferences
| Jersey Giant Chickens | Brahma Chickens | |
| Ideal Habitat | Warm to moderately cold. Otherwise, the comb may freeze causing excruciating pain to the bird. | Moderate to extremely cold regions.
However, may require observation for frigid cold temperatures as their wet leg feathers freeze causing frostbite. |
| Nesting Essentials | Since these cannot fly. Therefore, low fencing of 2-3 feet is enough to contain them.
Each chicken requires 18-32 inches perch space and a 5-8 square foot area per chicken. Perching stalls should also be put lower than average stalls. Regular nesting materials include wood shavings, grass clippings, and pine. |
Since these cannot fly. Therefore, 3-feet high fencing is enough to contain them.
Each chicken requires 18-28 inches perch space and a 4-7 square foot area per chicken. Perching stalls should be put lower than regular heights. Regular nesting materials include dry hay bedding straws, grass clippings, and cedar shavings. |
3. Differences In Behaviors and Others
| Jersey Giant Chickens | Brahma Chickens | |
| Social Behaviors | Tame and rarely aggressive.
Like social attention but handle confinement well. |
Mellow birds that rarely fight. Friendly, docile, and huggable. |
| Diet | Like free-ranging and eating worms & insects. But require 15-18% protein in their daily diet as well as supplements such as calcium and omega 3.
Can only feed water through nipple waterers. Otherwise, their wattles get wet. |
Like free-ranging but require a proper diet containing a balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins. |
| Breeding Patterns | Cocks are exceptionally docile. and can be bred in pairs.
During winters, females are exceptionally broody and lay more eggs. |
Brahma roosters are calm and can even live in higher rooster to chicken ratios.
Females are broody from October to November and don’t leave nests much. |
| Hatchlings | Jersey Giant hens make great mothers. But their large size can crush the eggs or worse, hatchlings. Therefore, breeders use foster-hens to grow Jersey Giant eggs and hatchlings.
Eggs may take an extra day or two to hatch. |
Brahma hens also make great mothers. However, they accidentally crush their own hatchlings.
Therefore, breeders don’t leave hatchlings around Brahma mothers. Hatchlings don’t normally take extra days to hatch. |
| BumbleFoot | Owing to their large size, Jersey Giants are prone to bumble feet and leg injuries.
And so, one needs to monitor them with great care. |
Brahma chickens are also prone to bumblefoot. However, not as much as Jersey Giants. |
| Hygiene | Jersey Giants have tight body muscles and feathers. Therefore, these are easier to cleanse. | Since Brahma chickens have feathered legs. Therefore, their feet can easily get caked mud or droppings. This makes them rather difficult to cleanse. |
What Is The Largest Chicken Breed In The World?
Well, Jersey Giants are considered the largest chickens in the world, in terms of weight.
However, these are not the tallest chickens in the world.
The title of tallest chicken breed belongs to Malay – a beautiful fowl that can grow to 3 feet tall and weigh about 10.5 kgs.
Jersey Capons can exceed 20 pounds in weight and grow about 2.5 in height.
So, they are only slightly smaller than Malay.
Now, you may be curious:
What Is The Biggest Rooster?
Jersey Giant Roosters are considered the biggest roosters throughout the chicken family.
In fact, Jersey Giant Capons (Castrated roosters) and broilers were considered the healthiest and most tender chicken market.
A Jersey Giant Capon can weigh more than 20 pounds.
However, perhaps you were asking about the biggest rooster to peck on the earth.
In that case, you may be interested in the heaviest chicken recorded in the Guinness World Record.
Weirdo, a White Sully Chicken, weighed 22lbs (10kgs) in 1973.
The rooster was so aggressive and agile that it killed two cats and injured a hostile dog.
However, Weirdo is long dead.
In recent years, a Brahma chicken of 16.5 pounds and 2.4 feet high, became an internet sensation in 2017 when its owner shared some of the rooster’s photographs.
Wrapping Up
Both Jersey Giant and Brahma chickens were selected through crossbreeding of different chicken species.
In a sense, Brahma chickens are ancestors of Jersey Giants.
Jersey Giants are usually larger than Brahma chickens and yield more meat.
In contrast, Brahma chickens make less noise and survive cold regions better than Jersey Giant.
