Sapphire Gem Chicks Sex and Age?

[Ghosty]

Here they are at 2 weeks. Notice the orange feet, now their feet are all dark a week later at 3. I would say yours are 2 weeks.

 

[Pyxis]

Oh, geez. I thought I read so much, but I never came across that piece of information! Thanks for being gentle with me.

So hmmm. None had head spots, but the bin said straight run. Wonder if they may have been labeled wrongly, as far as straight run or the breed! The next week I went in to compare how mine looked to what may have been left, but they were all gone. Except, they had a NEW bin of baby chicks labeled Sapphire Gems and pullets only!

Maybe there is still hope?!

Definitely still hope, they don't usually sell sex linked breeds as straight runs. So they may have labeled that wrong.

Also, head spot aside, as soon as black sex links (which these are, they use that mechanism of autosexing, they're just blue instead of black) start to feather out at all, the difference between sexes is obvious. Males are barred, females not. You can see that right away in their wing feathers when they start to feather in.

 

[Ghosty]

Just because I'm pic and chick crazy here's my 20 week SG at 18 weeks with her captor. This thread put me in the mood for some SG over easy.

 

[Bawkington Palace]

Definitely still hope, they don't usually sell sex linked breeds as straight runs. So they may have labeled that wrong.

Also, head spot aside, as soon as black sex links (which these are, they use that mechanism of autosexing, they're just blue instead of black) start to feather out at all, the difference between sexes is obvious. Males are barred, females not. You can see that right away in their wing feathers when they start to feather in.

That's my other worry! Because I don't quite know what barring looks like, I think 2 of mine have some striping on their wings.

Just because I'm pic and chick crazy here's my 20 week SG at 18 weeks with her captor. This thread put me in the mood for some SG over easy.View attachment 1526233

Yours are so very cute!! Thanks for the photos at week 2 and 3. I think you're right that mine look like yours at 2 weeks. That was helpful, thanks! Did some of yours have faster comb development, or were they all pretty similar with that?

 

[Ghosty]

That's my other worry! Because I don't quite know what barring looks like, I think 2 of mine have some striping on their wings.


Yours are so very cute!! Thanks for the photos at week 2 and 3. I think you're right that mine look like yours at 2 weeks. That was helpful, thanks! Did some of yours have faster comb development, or were they all pretty similar with that?

No problem. I enjoy showing them off. Lol. Some combs are faster than others. I also have some with speckles and my laying SG has speckles on her wings. A thread I would recommend is: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/what-is-a-sapphire-gem.1219553/
It addresses a lot of the sexing issues and barring on roos. It is a good read, but more concrete information comes later in the thread. I don't have any roos (that I know of) to compare to my pullets.

 

[BarnGems]

Hello!

I have 3 hens who I got just before they began laying this summer. They were my first chickens, and now I'm obsessed.

I now also have 3 Sapphire Gem baby chicks I got from Bomgaars, straight run bin.

I read every single forum post and comment about Sapphire Gems beforehand to try and pick out pullets. The store clerk had no idea how old they were at the time, but guessed 2 weeks and I've had them 1.5 weeks.

Already in that time they've changed so much, and I fear I have at least 2 cockerels.

Any guesses on age or sex? Are they really 3.5 weeks? I know it's early, but do you see 2 roos??

Thanks for any input!!

I know this is awhile since you posted on this thread but did you turn out to have all hens? I have ten of these chicks all hens and those look like mine. My roosters before freezer camp had yellow feet as chicks. Thanks!

 

[DuckingLost]

I wanted colored eggs but I guess I will just be getting more brown ones this summer.

 

[blazingmist]

Hello!

I have 3 hens who I got just before they began laying this summer. They were my first chickens, and now I'm obsessed.

I now also have 3 Sapphire Gem baby chicks I got from Bomgaars, straight run bin.

I read every single forum post and comment about Sapphire Gems beforehand to try and pick out pullets. The store clerk had no idea how old they were at the time, but guessed 2 weeks and I've had them 1.5 weeks.

Already in that time they've changed so much, and I fear I have at least 2 cockerels.

Any guesses on age or sex? Are they really 3.5 weeks? I know it's early, but do you see 2 roos??

Thanks for any input!!

how old are these in the picture?

 

[Lilokieescorter]

These are my sapphire gem chicks I got last weekend from a friend