This is How Tall is An Average Chicken!
Last updated on October 26th, 2022 at 05:19 pm
Rearing chicken for commercial purposes but having little or no idea is a backlash. You might think that weight and size have no importance.
However, getting close to a chicken shed, you will notice that the chicken’s size adds up to a great deal.
If you are planning on building a chicken coop or rearing chicken but do not know which breed will be ideal in terms of growth and size, this article will help you make the right choices.
The height of a chicken varies from one breed to another and from individual. On average, a chicken has a height of about 10 to 20 inches. But a few breeds are even smaller than the average height above. In contrast, certain giants like Jersey giants will stand between 20 to 26 inches tall.
How Tall Is the Average Rooster?
The average rooster is about 20 to 27 inches tall but weighs fewer pounds than the hen.
Roasters normally stand less than 70 cm (about 27.6 inches) tall. There are rare cases where roosters grow as tall as 27 to 32 inches.
These breeds are called giant chicken breeds, which include Brahma and Jersey giant breeds.
The height of a rooster depends primarily on the type of breed and the kind of nutrition.
For example, the Malaysian serama bantam breeds have an average height of six to ten inches.
In rare cases, Sebright bantam roosters only stand at nine to ten inches or above. They are the smallest breeds of chicken in the world.
But since they have plenty of advantages, from less money spent on building a shed, all-year-round laying periods, and quick maturity, many people still consider them reared.
While it might depend on the breed type, nutrition is also vital in classifying chicken growth.
Roosters are known to care for their females first before caring for themselves; giving them less feed or feed that contains an imbalanced nutritional content can lead to stunted growth.
So even if you have the best type of breed, the nutritional content should always be at the maximum.
Certain breeds of roosters go beyond the average height of 20 to 27 inches tall. This breed is called the giant chicken breed.
They are among the extra large-sized chicken breeds, including a Jersey giant, Malay Brahma, shamo, etc.
For example, the Malay breed of chicken can stand as tall as 36 inches.
How Tall Is a Medium-Sized Chicken?
A medium-sized chicken can stand at 16 to 22 inches tall. The height of the chicken comes from your breed and mostly the nutritional content of the feed.
Other factors like lightning, health, chick quality, etc. can also affect the growth—of medium-Sized chicken breeds, including leghorns, Rhode Island red, Wyandotte, etc.
Many people who rear chicken for commercial purposes may tell you the growth of chicken depends on the type of breed that you rear.
But other factors can affect how tall or big your chicken can grow. In cases where in a brood of chickens, some grow bigger than others: this boils down to feeding and adaptation.
Giving your chicken feed more protein can make them grow faster and taller. Investing in high-quality feeders will maximize the waste of feed.
If chickens feed well, they can grow taller than the expected average. A medium-sized chicken can grow up to 24 inches tall.
How Big Is a Fully-grown Chicken?
The average height of a fully grown chicken varies widely depending on the breed. Small size chickens will grow as tall as 8 to 10 inches.
While medium-sized chicken is 15 to 20 inches tall, the largest chicken breed can stand as tall as 20 to 26 inches tall.
Extra large chicken breeds can grow as tall as 30 to 32 inches. The Sebright bantam chicken is the smallest chicken of the bantam breeds of chicken.
They are known for their petite body; a full-grown Sebright bantam can only grow as tall as 8 inches.
The Sebright bantam is not a good egg layer, and because of their petite bodies, they are not good meat producers.
Because of this, they are not the best breed to rear for commercial purposes; thus, they are not quite popular worldwide. But can be reared for ornamental purposes.
The leghorn, for example, is a medium-sized chicken that becomes fully grown at six months. The leghorn will typically reach 16 inches tall when fully grown.
The New Hampshire chicken is also medium size and can grow up to 15 to 16 inches tall.
Australorp chickens are considered large birds. They are estimated to grow as tall as 16 to 20 inches tall.
Large chicken breeds can be as tall as 20 to 27 inches when fully grown. These breeds include Brahma, cochin, shamo, cornish, Plymouth rock, Jersey giant, etc.
This size of chicken can grow as tall as 28 to 32 inches tall in very rare cases. But they take a long time before fully grown; therefore, they consume more feed.
How Tall are Giant Chickens?
A giant chicken is 27 to 32 inches tall and weighs over 9 pounds. It is estimated to weigh about 13 to 15 pounds.
Many people feel intimidated by these breeds because of their height.
It will amaze you to know that one of the most gentle chicken breeds is the giant chicken called Jersey giant chicken. Giant Chicken breeds include breeds like Brahma, Malay, Cornish, etc.
Jersey giant chicken is the largest chicken breed known for its size and gentle personality.
The Jersey giant will weigh about 11 pounds and stand about 16 to 20 inches tall.
But according to USDA standards, a rooster can stand at 22 to 26 inches and weigh up to 13 to 15 pounds.
Brahma is another good example of a giant chicken considered second to the Jersey giant.
Brahman can stand as tall as 2.5 feet (30 inches) and weigh around 8 to 15 pounds. Brahma males weigh slightly more than females and are slightly taller too.
Here is a table comparing the weight and height of various breeds of giant chickens.
Breed | Weight | Height | Size |
---|---|---|---|
Jersey giant | 13-15 lbs | 22-26 inches | Extra large |
Brahma | 8-10 lbs | 27-30 inches | Medium to large |
Cochin | 3.2-5 lbs | 16-22 inches | Medium |
Malay | 9-11 lbs | 26-36 inches | Medium to large |
Giant breeds are between medium, large, or extra-large sized breed types. Giant chicken breeds typically grow slowly due to their large size and weight.
Because of their size, they need more space inside the coop. So when building a chicken shed for giant chickens, it’s important to make more room.
Because of the size of giant breeds, many people seem intimidated and refrain from rearing them.
However, giant chicken breeds are the best because they lay larger/jumbo-sized eggs, are a good source of meat, and can compost.
Rearing a giant chicken breed reduces production costs and produces eggs with more nutritional content than the standard-sized chicken.
Conclusion
A chicken can grow as tall as 20-27 tall on average. Sometimes, the chickens can be smaller or even bigger (36 inches tall Malay breed chicken).
While the breed is the primary factor that determines how tall a chicken can get, nutrition is another factor you should always consider.