Sapphire Gem thread!!!!

[talkinboutchickens]

Hey all!
I couldn't find any sapphire gem threads, so I decided to make one!

The sapphire gem, aka the blue sapphire or the sapphire blue, are a hybrid consisting of a blue plymouth rock and a barred rock that originated in the Czech Republic.
Sapphire gems have definitely gained in popularity over the years, one reason being that they are sex-linked, which means that you can tell the sex of the chick just by it's coloring; female sapphire gem chicks are dark gray with dark legs, while the male chicks are light gray with a white dot on their head and yellow legs. Sex-linked hybrids are a good choice if you want the gender of your chick guaranteed. As most of us already know, with most chicken breeds you have to wait until they are several weeks old until they start showing signs of being a hen or rooster (a pullet will start laying, and a cockerel will start trying to crow.) Other reasons why they are very popular in the chicken community is because sapphire gems have great egg production and they are typically very friendly.

Okay, I will type in a few questions below to get us started. You can copy and paste these questions in your reply, and that way, we will get to know each other better!

1. How long have you been owning sapphire gems for?

2. What would you rate them on a scale through 1-10 and why?

3. What's your favorite "trait" of your sapphire gem(s)? (e.g. their egg laying, their temperament, etc.)

4. What do you keep them for? Dual-purpose? Eggs? Meat? Pets? For pets and eggs?

5. Would you recommend this breed to other chicken keepers?

6. How many sapphire gems do you have?

7. Would you consider getting more in the future? Why or why not?


Please feel free to tag anyone who owns sapphire gems!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

1. How long have you been owning sapphire gems for?

2 years

2. What would you rate them on a scale through 1-10 and why?

I am rating them a 9, only because they are very susceptible to frostbite, but otherwise, they are awesome!

3. What's your favorite "trait" of your sapphire gem(s)? (e.g. their egg laying, their temperament, etc.)

I have to say, they are probably one of the most friendliest chicken breeds I have, they loved cuddling as chicks and still don't mind to be held once in a while.

4. What do you keep them for? Dual-purpose? Eggs? Meat? Pets? For pets and eggs?

Pets and eggs.

5. Would you recommend this breed to other chicken keepers?

Yes! They are a fantastic beginner breed.

6. How many sapphire gems do you have?

I have 2, a hen and a rooster.

7. Would you consider getting more in the future? Why or why not?

Yes, because they are awesome in every way!

 

[alinas2010]

1. How long have you been owning sapphire gems for? 2 years

2. What would you rate them on a scale through 1-10 and why? 10

3. What's your favorite "trait" of your sapphire gem(s)? (e.g. their egg laying, their temperament, etc.) My sapphire gem is so sweet. She has a great temperament. She isn’t a bully and I really like that.

4. What do you keep them for? Dual-purpose? Eggs? Meat? Pets? For pets and eggs? Pet and eggs. Mostly pet.

5. Would you recommend this breed to other chicken keepers? Yes! Especially beginners.

6. How many sapphire gems do you have? Just 1. Supposed to be two, but one ended up being a Rhode Island Blue chicken, which is somewhat similar.

7. Would you consider getting more in the future? Why or why not Yes. I feel that they are really great foragers, beautiful birds, very hearty and have a wonderful temperament.

Bonus points if you have a sapphire gem named Pepper. Here is my Pepper:

I love her so much and enjoy searching out the beautiful little splashes of black/turquoise in her feathers.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Bonus points if you have a sapphire gem named Pepper. Here is my Pepper:
View attachment 3833061View attachment 3833062I love her so much and enjoy searching out the beautiful little splashes of black/turquoise in her feathers.

Oh my gosh I love her, she is beautiful!!! You could enter them into a photo contest!

Here's my two;

This is Ledo (pronounced lee-doe)

And this is Gert

I forgot to mention that I have a third one as well, her name is Opal. She is Gert's and Ledo's daughter. She is much much bigger now! I don't have a recent pic of her now. Now she has a giant comb and she has grown a lot.

 

[alinas2010]

Oh my gosh I love her, she is beautiful!!! You could enter them into a photo contest!

Here's my two;

This is Ledo (pronounced lee-doe)
View attachment 3833648


And this is Gert
View attachment 3833652

I forgot to mention that I have a third one as well, her name is Opal. She is Gert's and Ledo's daughter. She is much much bigger now! I don't have a recent pic of her now. Now she has a giant comb and she has grown a lot.
View attachment 3833653

I love them, they’re adorable! Do you have a full body pic of Ledo? I would love to see his feather pattern. Did they actually produce another sapphire gem? How neat if they did!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Do you have a full body pic of Ledo? I would love to see his feather pattern.

I sure do!

He is like the sweetest boy, he lets me pick him up. But apparently sometimes when he's calling his girls over saying that he found food, sometimes it isn't food. Sometimes he tells his girls to eat a wood chip, a piece of bird poop, etc.

Yes, he and Gert produced another sapphire gem. Their offspring were actually sex-linked as well!

 

[alinas2010]

I sure do!
View attachment 3833703

He is like the sweetest boy, he lets me pick him up. But apparently sometimes when he's calling his girls over saying that he found food, sometimes it isn't food. Sometimes he tells his girls to eat a wood chip, a piece of bird poop, etc.

Yes, he and Gert produced another sapphire gem. Their offspring were actually sex-linked as well!

He’s incredibly handsome! What he lacks in smarts, he sure makes up for with good looks and charm. I love sapphire gem males, they’re absolutely stunning. How cool that their babies ended up sex linked and sapphire gems, I know that doesn’t always happen.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

He’s incredibly handsome! What he lacks in smarts, he sure makes up for with good looks and charm. I love sapphire gem males, they’re absolutely stunning. How cool that their babies ended up sex linked and sapphire gems, I know that doesn’t always happen.

He sure does! Yes, he's not really the smartest.....He takes his girls very deep into the woods, while the other rooster likes to keep his girls near the coop. You know, I have a hatch-along if you'd like to join! The last Sapphire gem egg left is number 15 if you'd like to claim it! Let me know on my hatch-along if you want to adopt an eggie!

 

[alinas2010]

He sure does! Yes, he's not really the smartest.....He takes his girls very deep into the woods, while the other rooster likes to keep his girls near the coop. You know, I have a hatch-along if you'd like to join! The last Sapphire gem egg left is number 15 if you'd like to claim it! Let me know on my hatch-along if you want to adopt an eggie!

Awww I am going to check it out!! I’ve never done a hatch along, what do you do?

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Awww I am going to check it out!! I’ve never done a hatch along, what do you do?

Basically you claim an egg number and you name it according to the theme, then you "root" for that egg to hatch basically, and when/if it hatches the chick will be called what you name it! Apparently all the sapphire gem eggs are taken now. Eggs 2, 10, 18, 19, 20, and 21 are available!