Did a roo sneak by? Sapphire Gem, 4 wks

[Palmettoguy]

I have 7 Sapphire Gems pullets and this one in particular is the only one that doesn't seem like the rest.
It was the last to feather, it's legs are bigger than the others, and it's comb is way bigger and pinker that the others.
Soooo...I guess my question is, is it a roo? I know this question gets asked a million times and that I should just wait another month or so to know for sure...but in your opinion...whatcha ?

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Yeah, it came from Hoovers Hatchery and they were all labeled as pullets. If the pros missed it, I guess it is what it is. Due to zoning, I can't have a roo so it'll have to go. I'll give it a few more weeks just to see though.
He/she is on the plank (small wings).

Great pic! Notice the faded white area on its head, that's the spot! Hoover's is notorious for mislabeling chicks Some poor people on this forum have picked up many Sapphire Gem "pullets" from TSC (from Hoover's) and end up with all cockerels. I try to spread the head spot information around the best I can just in case it can help another person seeing the thread not end up with an unwanted cockerel

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Here's a good example as well of how spread out the spot can be in a cockerel versus pullet

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

I will say this chick is 100% a cockerel. If not barred he would be a Production Blue most likely. Depending on the source (not a hatchery), he could be second generation. The sex linking is lost at that point and they're just considered a mix rather than a Sapphire Gem. That being said, assuming your other chicks look like the pullet pictured, it seems to me that they were sexed at a young age so I assume they're from a hatchery and not a backyard bred second generation. The barring in Sapphire Gems is often pretty muted looking. You can post more pics of it to see but it's difficult to discern in young birds in my experience on this forum. It tends to become more evident in the male sex-specific feathering on the saddle area in particular

 

[Palmettoguy]

He's a cockerel. Since the cross is sex linked, this was evident from day one from the spot on the head of his chick down :/

Sorry...it wasn't "evident" from day one as this bird was a solid light grey color from head to toe.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Sorry...it wasn't "evident" from day one as this bird was a solid light grey color from head to toe.

Do you have chick pictures? If it's a Sapphire Gem if he didn't have one every cockerel has a head spot (albeit some are faded and large so they aren't quite as visible but are still there). This is because the variety is a sex link in which males are blue barred and females are blue. Was he from a hatchery?

 

[springvalley123]

last I checked, in this hybrid, the males are barred. If he doesn't have barring now, and didn't have a yellow spot on his head, he should be a she. I'd be curious to see how this bird turns out!

 

[ladybrasa]

Pretty sure this is not helpful, but may give you things to consider:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sapphire-gem-chicks-sex-and-age.1270744/

 

[ladybrasa]

EDIT: I did have a chick that looked very much like a boy but was a pullet (different breed). Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[Palmettoguy]

Do you have chick pictures? If it's a Sapphire Gem if he didn't have one every cockerel has a head spot (albeit some are faded and large so they aren't quite as visible but are still there). This is because the variety is a sex link in which males are blue barred and females are blue. Was he from a hatchery?

Yeah, it came from Hoovers Hatchery and they were all labeled as pullets. If the pros missed it, I guess it is what it is. Due to zoning, I can't have a roo so it'll have to go. I'll give it a few more weeks just to see though.
He/she is on the plank (small wings).