Sapphire gem

[Rhode island Rooster]

hello all! my local feed store has sapphire gem chickens. I looked up a pic of them and knew that i wanted some of these. i don't know much about them so if you could answer some of the following questions that would be great

Are they good for laying?
Are they good egg layers?
Are they good free rangers or are they better in a confinement?
do they go broody?
will i be able to breed them and will there chicks be good?

Thx and any answers are appreciated!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

This appears to be the first year they have been available here in the states, so none have reached point of lay in the flocks I know that are keeping them(my own included) . Whether they are as billed remains to be seen.
You can breed them, but they won't breed true with regards to the sex linking

 

[Rhode island Rooster]

Ok thx yea you can’t find very much on them the only place that sells them I think is Hoover hatchery. Why will they not breed true due

 

[Rhode island Rooster]

To sex linkin

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

To sex linkin

That's a question of whether they are sex links OR autosexing.....the former are crosses that link only first generation....the latter are breeds that breed true and the genetics carry from generation to generation

 

[Rhode island Rooster]

Huh ok so the sapphire gem prolly ain’t the best to breed

 

[The Moonshiner]

They're not auto sexing for sure.
Jury is still out on whether they're even sex linked.
Obtaining info and/or knowing if anything about them is as stated has been a trainer's.
Haven't seen a mess like these since the Asian blacks. Also a Hoover's "breed"

 

[Rhode island Rooster]

Sounds like Hoover’s is causing some trouble then

 

[geina]

Ok it’s been a bit has anyone had a sapphire gem go broody? How did it go? I bought three girls and now believe one is a he. I will attempt to breed them if possible. They told me they where 14 wks when I got them that would now make them 20 weeks and still no eggs. Not sure what I’m doing wrong. Any information on these would be helpful. Thanks a bunch

 

[bonsaiherb]

Had two. Very intelligent birds, very flighty and escaped whenever they could. Cross between Blue Andalusian roosters and barred rock hens - probably Blue Plymouth Rock
Not sure which direction the cross was to get the brown egg, but they are good layers.
Now crossed again with an Ameraucana Rooster, for example, you MIGHT get an interesting Easter Egger.

Hoover ??? Sells Americana not Ameraucana chickens which makes me leery of them but they do have Salmon Faverolle and Calico Princess which I also like.
BTW Calico Princess and Amethyst Gem were being sold by local Feed stores at reasonable prices so Hoover is not the only source.

Would love to hear more about breeding and genetics.
Am a plantsman and know that the direction you cross the pollen, male contribution makes a huge difference.
Lobivia and Rebutia cactus or say Mammillaria crosses where common. The latter two have many small flowers and the first a larger one. You cross according to the desired outcome.
Marans have dark eggs and one crosses them with Ameraucana for EE. Marans have poor egg laying numbers so to up them to the Ameraucana base would one use an Ameraucana Rooster or a Maran Rooster to an Ameraucana hen to get an EE that produces more than 150 eggs a year.