Hey guys, is this barring? (Sapphire Gem mighta fooled us all.)

[VegaCoyote]

Junie here is supposed to be a Sapphire Gem pullet. Both descriptions are now in question.

S/he had no head spot as a chick, but was also one of the darkest chicks in the bin so it might just not have been very visible. Further, the hatchery had multiple mix-ups shipping grey chicks this year, so it’s not inconceivable that s/he got swapped out for NOT-a-Sapphire Gem.

Anyway. IF she’s a Sapphire Gem, she’s only supposed to be barred if she’s a roo. (She’s also supposed to have a head spot if she’s barred.)

She’s also got some chonkin’ thick walk-stubs on her and seems to be developing spurs on ‘em. Is she a he?

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

How old is the bird? Can we get pictures of the back of the neck, the feet, and close up of the head? Definitely is barring.

 

[JedJackson]

I see no barring. That often isn't apparent in blue chickens until male specific feathering grows in. Blue is often an uneven color when chickens are young.

This bird has a small, pale comb. It looks like a pullet to me so far.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I don't think it's barred either but barring and a headspot are sometimes hard to see on blue.
You did say it was fairly dark when a chick and those are the ones the headspots show the best on.

 

[VegaCoyote]

Coming up on 3 months on the 10th, I think.

Junie, why you gotta be so skittish, the iphone isn’t gonna eat you.

Oh, I know. Mealworms. Jussec.

 

[JedJackson]

Coming up on 3 months on the 10th, I think.

Junie, why you gotta be so skittish, the iphone isn’t gonna eat you.

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Oh, I know. Mealworms. Jussec.

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That looks like a SG pullet to me. I think the hatchery got it right.

 

[VegaCoyote]

Awesome, cool. One more we don’t have to worry about rehoming! She’s a sweetheart, too, once she warms up to you.

I’m really glad you guys are here to ask. I didn’t know what to make of that stripey pattern- they only seem to show on the ends of her flight feathers, not even on her secondaries, and it was hard to get good photos of them.

Here’s some baby pics of her I got when I first started noticing the stripes:

(None of the ones that caught the stripes came out very well as actual pictures, but she had a cute awkward stage!)

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Coming up on 3 months on the 10th, I think.

Junie, why you gotta be so skittish, the iphone isn’t gonna eat you.

View attachment 4210636

Oh, I know. Mealworms. Jussec.

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awww she is so precious

 

[SJsChickies]

Coming up on 3 months on the 10th, I think.

Junie, why you gotta be so skittish, the iphone isn’t gonna eat you.

View attachment 4210636

Oh, I know. Mealworms. Jussec.

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Looks like a pretty pullet to me! I have a SG too and she has similar coloring but it’s not barring. Here she is next to one of my CCL. She started laying at 16 weeks!