Meyer Hatchery - Sapphire Jewel

[Prairie Hills Homestead]

I am trying to figure out the genetics behind the sapphire jewel from Meyer's hatchery. It is a hybrid chicken they have worked hard on to have a blue layer who lays 300 blue eggs a year and all look similar, white birds with some black speckles. I just bought some cockerels and pullets. What I am wondering, if I breed them together do I get the same breed as offspring? I am trying to plan out a breeding pen to hopefully be able to breed them back to each other to continue to get the same birds or relatively the same birds.

Thanks!

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

They’re probably some sort of Easter egger x leghorn or ameraucana x leghorn cross. Could be first generation or a few generations in. You will get birds that look relatively the same from the offspring, though fewer similar ones if they are a first generation cross. Their coloring could be heterozygous dominant white (aka paint) which doesn’t breed true, so you could get whites, blacks, and paints from this cross.

 

[Prairie Hills Homestead]

They’re probably some sort of Easter egger x leghorn or ameraucana x leghorn cross. Could be first generation or a few generations in. You will get birds that look relatively the same from the offspring, though fewer similar ones if they are a first generation cross. Their coloring could be heterozygous dominant white (aka paint) which doesn’t breed true, so you could get whites, blacks, and paints from this cross.


**that's what I'm thinking as well, in not sure if these are F1 birds or like an f4. I guess I'll hatch out any once they're laying and see what I get.

Thanks!

**that's what I'm thinking as well, in not sure if these are F1 birds or like an f4. I guess I'll hatch out any once they're laying and see what I get.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

If you don't want to wait to see if their offspring lays blue eggs, you can get them tested for $15-20 a bird to see if they're homozygous or heterozygous for blue egg genes. If they are homozygous, and they look similar, the odds are good that you'll get at least a percentage of offspring that looks like that parent stock and lays blue eggs.

 

[Prairie Hills Homestead]

If you don't want to wait to see if their offspring lays blue eggs, you can get them tested for $15-20 a bird to see if they're homozygous or heterozygous for blue egg genes. If they are homozygous, and they look similar, the odds are good that you'll get at least a percentage of offspring that looks like that parent stock and lays blue eggs.

I plan on testing at least the cockerels of the offspring to see what they carry. I only want to keep the homozygous birds. Although the pullets can lay blue but only be heterozygous as well. It most likely will be an expensive venture for a few years to get what I am looking for out of them.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I plan on testing at least the cockerels of the offspring to see what they carry. I only want to keep the homozygous birds. Although the pullets can lay blue but only be heterozygous as well. It most likely will be an expensive venture for a few years to get what I am looking for out of them.

I would test your cock that you want to use now as well as a random selection of hens. Drop $100 bucks on it before raising out a generation and spending far more?

 

[Prairie Hills Homestead]

I would test your cock that you want to use now as well as a random selection of hens. Drop $100 bucks on it before raising out a generation and spending far more?

Exactly. I plan on testing the cockerels first. Then the best looking pullets as they grow out. Then hatch from those birds. Then test again.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I ordered eggs on line from a lady in OH, one of the eggs that hatched was this hen...

She was an Ayam Cemani/austra white...
her egg below, was gray.

She laid well until went went broody.
I would guess hen wise they may have bred An Austrawhite with an EE, I say Austra white, because that is what they have to work with.

 

[Prairie Hills Homestead]

I ordered eggs on line from a lady in OH, one of the eggs that hatched was this hen...
View attachment 3376951
She was an Ayam Cemani/austra white...
her egg below, was gray.
View attachment 3376956
She laid well until went went broody.
I would guess hen wise they may have bred An Austrawhite with an EE, I say Austra white, because that is what they have to work with.

those are pretty!

 

[Eccentric]

Do you have any photos of your Sapphire Jewels? I tried to order one and they said I had to order two. So I ordered two. Then they said the order had to be minimum of eight chicks even for pick up. So I asked if they would put two on hold for me until I could get there. Some guy named Jeff said absolutely not. Not even if I paid the full price of $22.40 each. So they threw them in the bargain bin. Now I have 10 yellow chicks with black specs yellow legs and beards. I would absolutely love to think that I have 10 Sapphire Jewels from the bargain bin. Probably not, but until I know otherwise I’m going to pretend I do. So I was just wondering what your checks look like now.