Sapphire gem - pullet, please!

[Cg1979]

Hi, guys! So I have 4 "pullets" from TSC, one of whom has already turned out Tobe a cockerel and is, in fact, going to a new home today. Please tell me that this little sapphire gem is a girl. I got them on 4/23 so "she" is 5 weeks, 5 days old now. Her hackles are concerning me; but the saddle feathers seem rounded to me. But im new to all of this. Thank you!

 

[TRALALARA1]

Looks like a pullet to me.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

She’s a pullet. Sapphire Gems are sex-linked, meaning the girls will look like that, and the boys will be barred.

 

[nuthatched]

6 weeks is too young for male specific feathers to be coming in, it will be another 6 weeks, ensures that sapphire gems are sex links.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Please tell me that this little sapphire gem is a girl. I got them on 4/23 so "she" is 5 weeks, 5 days old now. Her hackles are concerning me; but the saddle feathers seem rounded to me.

It's all comb, wattles, and behavior at the stated age.

Color and size of comb and wattles still say pullet. But it can still be early, so I would watch for sudden development over the next few weeks.

Pointy make specific saddle and hackle feathers won't start showing before 10-12 weeks of age in most non hen feathered breeds, making them irrelevant for now. They should be well visible by 16 weeks.

Saphire Gem are sex linked according to the following article..

https://cs-tf.com/sapphire-gem-chicken/

"Because the Sapphire Gem is a sex-linked breed, it is usually easy to identify male and female chicks by the color of their feathers shortly after they hatch. In similarity to a black sex link breed, female Sapphire Gem chicks tend to be a solid blue color while male chicks tend to show a white spot on their heads or on the wings."

I did see another thread that indicated Hoover's might not be breeding them correctly for the sex linking.

But all signs currently point to pullet!

 

[Cg1979]

She’s a pullet. Sapphire Gems are sex-linked, meaning the girls will look like that, and the boys will be barred.

Thank you! I had read that about the barring, too, but because my other (different breed: cinnamon queen,) "pullet" has the same kind of hackle feathers (along with long, skinny saddle feathers, developing spurs, a cute little crow, and super early red comb/wattles,) I've been scrutinizing my others very closely and this one has had me a little concerned.

 

[Cg1979]

6 weeks is too young for male specific feathers to be coming in, it will be another 6 weeks, ensures that sapphire gems are sex links.

Thank you! I had read about them being sex-linked, but I didn't know that about the feathers. My same-age cinnamon queen "pullet" has shown early cockerel development and made me fearful about the rest.

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you! I had read that about the barring, too, but because my other (different breed: cinnamon queen,) "pullet" has the same kind of hackle feathers (along with long, skinny saddle feathers, developing spurs, a cute little crow, and super early red comb/wattles,) I've been scrutinizing my others very closely and this one has had me a little concerned.

Then it might not had been a cinnamon queen, as those are sex linked. Females can also develop spurs sometimes.

 

[Cg1979]

It's all comb, wattles, and behavior at the stated age.

Color and size of comb and wattles still say pullet. But it can still be early, so I would watch for sudden development over the next few weeks.

Pointy make specific saddle and hackle feathers won't start showing before 10-12 weeks of age in most non hen feathered breeds, making them irrelevant for now. They should be well visible by 16 weeks.

Saphire Gem are sex linked according to the following article..

https://cs-tf.com/sapphire-gem-chicken/

"Because the Sapphire Gem is a sex-linked breed, it is usually easy to identify male and female chicks by the color of their feathers shortly after they hatch. In similarity to a black sex link breed, female Sapphire Gem chicks tend to be a solid blue color while male chicks tend to show a white spot on their heads or on the wings."

I did see another thread that indicated Hoover's might not be breeding them correctly for the sex linking.

But all signs currently point to pullet!

Thank you! Because my other (different breed: cinnamon queen,) pullet-turned-roo has the same kind of hackle feathers (along with long, skinny saddle feathers, developing spurs, a cute little crow, and super early red comb/wattles,) I've been scrutinizing my chicks very closely and this one has had me a little concerned. BUT the cinnamon queen (also a sex-linked breed,) was pretty clearly a male when I got him, based on coloring, I just didnt know it. I went with the "buy first, ask questions later" approach - I've learned some lessons!

I have seen a lot of ambiguity in other people's posts about the sapphire gem breed; some people say yellow legs automatically equal roo and others have hens with legs that look like my chick's. It's all very confusing.

 

[pekin queen]

i agree she/he looks like a pullet but is still to young to tell for shore