The Indian Giant, also known as the Indio Gigante chicken breed, is a domestic chicken. Developed initially in Brazil around the late 1980s and early 1990s.
It is one of the giant chicken breeds in the poultry world, especially regarding height. These dinosaur-like chickens make great pets.
Despite their large, intimidating size, they are friendly and gentle birds that will rarely harm kids or other small-sized chickens in the flock.
This is one of the best breeds to consider if you want a chicken to keep as a pet. They are also good for meat and egg production.
If you plan to add the Indio Gigante chicken breed to your backyard flock, you have come to the right place.
This article will discuss everything you need to know about the Indio Gigante chickens, including their appearance, egg production, and maintenance needs. Keep reading to learn more.
History And Background Of The Indio Gigante Chicken
As mentioned, the Indio Gigante chicken originated in Brazil in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Its name means “Indian Giant” in Portuguese. In Brazil, the word “Indian” describes indigenous Brazilian culture, so its name reflects its Brazilian heritage.
This large-sized chicken breed was created by crossing the Malays and other tall chicken breeds, such as the Shamo.
Some breeders and backyard chicken keepers believe the Plymouth Rock may have been used in these crosses. Over time, breeders selected the largest specimens, resulting in large birds.
Indio Gigante Chicken Appearance
The Indio Gigante chicken is widely known for its oversized appearance. It is one of the tallest chicken breeds in the poultry world.
The very tallest Indio Gigante roosters have been known to stand up to 4 feet tall. Like most other chicken breeds, Indio Gigante roosters are usually taller than their female counterparts.
A rooster must be at least 3.5 feet tall to be considered an Indio Gigante. They should also weigh at least 10 pounds when fully grown.
On the other hand, an Indio Gigante hen must weigh at least 7 pounds and stand at least 3 feet tall when fully grown.
These tall chickens have yellow skin and a single comb. Both their wattle and comb are red. They have brown eyes, and their beaks should be black or pale yellow, depending on the feather coloring.
These birds have feathers that lie close and a muscular body. In addition, they have long tails.
Personality And Temperament
Despite their large, intimidating size, Indio Gigante chickens are friendly and docile birds. They are often sought after because of their friendly personality.
Many people raise them because they make excellent backyard or barnyard pets. If you want a chicken to play with your kids without hurting them, this is one of the breeds to consider.
These large chickens are considered quite calm and generally unruffled by disturbances. They will rarely make unnecessary noise unless something is troubling.
However, like roosters of most other breeds, Indio Gigante roosters can sometimes be noisy.
Indio Gigante chickens are friendly birds that can do well in any backyard flock comprising other breeds.
Their large size can make them seem quite imposing, but they usually do not use that size to intimidate other animals. In actuality, they are considered a non-aggressive breed.
Although non-aggressive, they often work well with aggressive chicken breeds due to their intimidating size. Most chicken breeds prefer to stay out of their way.
Besides, their large size means most predatory birds, such as hawks and owls, can not prey on them because they are smaller than these chickens.
Egg Production
The Indio Gigante chicken was created as a dual-purpose breed emphasizing meat production. However, they are considered to be pretty good egg layers.
Under good care and proper nutrition, you can expect your Indio Gigante hen to lay two to four eggs per week. This translates to between 160 and 250 eggs per year.
Their eggs may be in various colors, such as white, blue, green, red, beige, and brown.
If you are looking for a chicken that will ensure you have plenty of colorful eggs in your basket throughout the year, this is one of the best breeds to consider.
As you might expect from such a large-sized chicken, those eggs are pretty large too. As with most chicken breeds, the eggs get larger as the chicken ages.
Therefore you will see jumbo-sized eggs from your hens in reasonably short order.
Indio Gigante chickens are often considered good mothers to their baby chicks and seem to enjoy caring for their eggs. However, these birds are not good brooders.
Because of the size of the chicken, if left to brood the eggs, Indio Gigante hens often accidentally crack the eggshells with their weight.
Therefore, it is essential to remove the eggs as soon as possible. If you want to raise Indio Gigante chicks, you can place the eggs under a hen of a different breed for brooding.
Health Issues
The Indio Gigante was bred to be not only a large chicken but also a robust one. They are healthy chickens that are not susceptible to many health issues.
However, they can be prone to common health issues in all chicken breeds. They can also be prone to parasites, such as lice and mites.
These chickens can be prone to leg injuries because of their large size. Injuries can happen when they jump or fly from a high space.
Because of their weight and long legs, the landing can injure them. Placing perches closer to the ground can reduce the risk of such injuries.
Feeding
Indio Gigante chickens have a low Feed Conversion Ratio. They require a good deal of feed and do not really start to fill out their huge body frame until they reach around five to six months old.
These birds do best with a free feeding schedule and will enjoy being allowed to forage for extras. Therefore, if you have a large backyard, you should allow them to roam freely as they free range.
Coop Set-up
Considering their large size, your Indio Gigante chickens will require extra space in the coop, run, and nesting boxes.
The coop size will depend on the number of chickens you are raising. They need six to eight square feet each inside their coop and fifteen square feet each in their run.
Since they are very tall, you must ensure they have enough headroom. Some Indio Gigante chickens can stand up to 4 feet tall, so keep that in mind.
Ideally, the coop’s ceiling will be at least two feet above their heads. They will also require 15 to 18 inches of perching space.
As for perches, remember to place them lower to the ground or have lamps leading up to them.
Indio Gigante chickens are heavy birds with tall legs, and jumping down from high perches can lead to leg injuries.
Therefore, you must ensure that perches are not more than 2 feet from the ground.
These chickens enjoy roaming and foraging for their food. However, if they need to be confined and kept in a run, you must provide plenty of space.
Each bird will need 10 square feet of run space, but more is always better.
Conclusion
For many chicken keepers, the Indio Gigante chicken is an excellent addition to any backyard flock. They are friendly and gentle chickens that love to be held.
This makes them great pets, especially for families with kids. Despite their intimidating size, they are calm and non-aggressive birds.
These large-sized chickens are suitable for both egg and meat production. Under good care and proper nutrition, an Indio Gigante hen can lay 160 to 250 eggs annually.
They are also healthy and robust chickens without many health issues. However, they can be prone to leg injuries because of their large size.
As with other chicken breeds, the Indio Gigante chicken needs good care and a proper diet to live a longer, more productive life.
