Anyone bred blue sapphires and what’d you get?

[cmobley]

I bought blue sapphires from tsc they’re finally laying and ones crowing. Has anyone bred these and what’s the results I’ve read a lot online but some of it contradicts itself on getting Plymouth rocks and some blues and no blues and some painted. Just looking for real world results from someone that’s actually done it.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Did you ask TSC what hatchery they sourced for the chicks? If so, you do a chat session with that hatchery to find for sure what is in this Mixed breed. Not knowing for sure what is in there, and even when you do know for sure, you're going to get mixes by mixing a mix with anything. My friend breeds but never with these mixes if she needs to be sure of color, etc.

 

[NatJ]

I’ve read a lot online but some of it contradicts itself on getting Plymouth rocks and some blues and no blues and some painted. Just looking for real world results from someone that’s actually done it.

I have not actually done it. But due to the effects of the blue gene in chickens, and the barring gene that is often used to make them color-sexable, that's about what I would expect in a batch of chicks.

In a large group of chicks, there should be black/blue/splash in a ratio of 1/2/1, with about half of each color having white barring across them. But if someone hatches a small batch of chicks, they may only see some of the options, and they might see different colors than someone else hatching a small batch.

Does your rooster have white barring across his feathers? If yes, he has the barring gene, and will give it to about half his chicks. If no, then he does not have the barring gene, and will not give it to any of his chicks.


Notes about terminology:

Plymouth Rock is a breed of chicken. Barred is the color that is black with white bars across it. You will never get Plymouth Rocks (breed) from hybrid parents, but you can get plenty of barred (color) chicks from them.

Black, Blue, and Splash are colors you get when breeding blue chickens. Splash means they are white or light gray, with splashes of blue or black on them. "Paint" can look similar (white with bits of black), but is caused by a different gene.

 

[cmobley]

I have not actually done it. But due to the effects of the blue gene in chickens, and the barring gene that is often used to make them color-sexable, that's about what I would expect in a batch of chicks.

In a large group of chicks, there should be black/blue/splash in a ratio of 1/2/1, with about half of each color having white barring across them. But if someone hatches a small batch of chicks, they may only see some of the options, and they might see different colors than someone else hatching a small batch.

Does your rooster have white barring across his feathers? If yes, he has the barring gene, and will give it to about half his chicks. If no, then he does not have the barring gene, and will not give it to any of his chicks.


Notes about terminology:

Plymouth Rock is a breed of chicken. Barred is the color that is black with white bars across it. You will never get Plymouth Rocks (breed) from hybrid parents, but you can get plenty of barred (color) chicks from them.

Black, Blue, and Splash are colors you get when breeding blue chickens. Splash means they are white or light gray, with splashes of blue or black on them. "Paint" can look similar (white with bits of black), but is caused by a different gene.

No he’s just blue with no barring. So if I breed these would the chicks just be a mutt? Also would they be color sexable without the barring and blue sapphire Roos having a white spot on the head?

 

[NatJ]

No he’s just blue with no barring. Also would they be color sexable without the barring and blue sapphire Roos having a white spot on the head?

If he has no barring, then no chicks will have barring either.
Did he have the white spot on the head when he was a chick? That white spot is caused by the barring gene.

No, the chicks will not be color-sexable.

Color-sexing relies on the mother having barring and the father not having barring; this makes the sons have barring (white spot on the head at hatch) and the daughters not.
It does not work when the father has barring, and it does not work when the mother has no barring.

So if I breed these would the chicks just be a mutt?

Yes.
You could call them mutts, mixed breeds, barnyard mixes, or any other term that means the same thing.
They will probably be nice chickens, with many of the same traits as their parents. But they will not be "Blue Sapphires," not color sexable, and not purebreds of any kind.