Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) inferior, contemptible.

1887		Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) 2 May 6/5: The man who has one or more good mares to breed can . . . make a very ridiculous ass of himself . . . in using some jay-bird stallion to breed them to.
1960		V. Williams Walk Egypt 208: Calla was sixteen, with a bullet head and jaybird heels [DARE].
1967, 1992		in DARE.