Sapphire Gems

[DucksAndGardens]

So I impulsively purchased 4 Sapphire Gem chicks from TSC. I generally don't go to TSC for chicks but these were $.50 each and I couldn't resist. They were supposed to all be pullets and had puller markings. But now that I'm 4 weeks in, I see 2 have larger combs than the other two. But I'm hoping this might just be a characteristic of the sapphire gems. I've seen pictures online of the SGs and some hens have a smaller single comb while others have a larger single comb. Has anyone experienced the different combs for themselves? The two single chick pics I believe are females for sure but the pic of the two together make me wonder if those are roos. If they are I have THE worst luck buying chicks when even the sex links end up being males.

 

[Leahs Coop]

They look like pullets to me

 

[DucksAndGardens]

They look like pullets to me but time will tell for sure

I sure hope so. I've had to rehome or dispatch roosters every year since I started with chickens. My city ordinances don't allow roos and while I have neighbors that do have roosters I don't want to risk losing my whole flock to a noise complaint.

 

[SueT]

Sapphire Gems are a sex link breed, distinguishable at hatching. There shouldn't be any mixups. I read that males have a head spot and females do not. It looks like yours do not. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

[The Moonshiner]

That's what they're supposed to be but others have had males that didn't have head spots or barring.
Hoover's don't know what they're doing when it comes to this new hybrid.

 

[DucksAndGardens]

Sapphire Gems are a sex link breed, distinguishable at hatching. There shouldn't be any mixups. I read that males have a head spot and females do not. It looks like yours do not. Can anyone else confirm this?

They are supposed to be a sex link but apparently there's a 5% chance of roos having pullet markings. Which I found out after I bought these. So that's why I'm concerned about the combs being larger on the 2. I've not had sapphires before. I have a mixed flock of pure strained breeds but no crossbreed varieties .

 

[The Moonshiner]

Who said there's a 5% chance? TSC? The hatchery they came from?
Sounds ridiculous that there would be a 5% chance for a sex link to be the opposite sexs marking.
Sounds more like someone's trying to cover their @$$ so if they sell you the wrong sex but keep the % number so low that it wouldn't effect sales.

 

[DucksAndGardens]

Who said there's a 5% chance? TSC? The hatchery they came from?
Sounds ridiculous that there would be a 5% chance for a sex link to be the opposite sexs marking.
Sounds more like someone's trying to cover their @$$ so if they sell you the wrong sex but keep the % number so low that it wouldn't effect sales.

So TSC and Valley Hatchery told me about the 5% chance of unmarked males being sold as pullets. I had contacted Bally because they too are selling discounted sapphires, they will give a refund on the chicks but that doesn't help because I can't keep roos. I really fin it irritating

 

[DucksAndGardens]

TSC and Valley Hatchery have both told me abut the 5% chance of roosters not having headspots. I wish I had known before I bought them because I can not have roosters here without risking my whole setup. If someone files a noise complaint against a poultry owner, code enforcement makes you get rid of your whole flock and you get banned from owning poultry for 5 years.

 

[The Moonshiner]

So TSC and Valley Hatchery told me about the 5% chance of unmarked males being sold as pullets. I had contacted Bally because they too are selling discounted sapphires, they will give a refund on the chicks but that doesn't help because I can't keep roos. I really fin it irritating

You can search this forum for "sapphire gems" there's a couple threads from last year on them.
At that time they were a new hybrid only being offered by Hoover's and TSC that used Hoover's.
They were mess as far as getting the sex link right. IMO Hoover's really dropped the ball.
They originated oversees. And supposedly Hoover's supplied themselves with eggs of the original parent stock. Almost seems more likely they tried to copy the formula with breeds they had. IDK? All the pics used to advertise them are from the original oversees source.