What is a sapphire gem?

[renk777]

I didn't know this part.
Where SGs all you ordered? If so I would think if they threw in extras they would be the same. But maybe not.
Now you have me upside down. Maybe they're going to grow to be some fine looking lavender orpington roosters or something. Lol

I ordered 10 SG females...got 12 chicks. 10 were all dark...2 were really light grey with fresh colored beaks and legs. No dark wash. I had considered perhaps they were lav orps but they're leg color is wrong and they just look different. Guess we'll have to wait another month and see. If that light one gets really dark slate saddle and hackle feathers, he'll be gorgeous. Are there any other hybrids that are blue barred? Or would they be black/white barred if they were correct?

 

[PachecoPeeps]

I ordered 10 SG females...got 12 chicks. 10 were all dark...2 were really light grey with fresh colored beaks and legs. No dark wash. I had considered perhaps they were lav orps but they're leg color is wrong and they just look different. Guess we'll have to wait another month and see. If that light one gets really dark slate saddle and hackle feathers, he'll be gorgeous. Are there any other hybrids that are blue barred? Or would they be black/white barred if they were correct?

I looked up blue langshan, blue australorps, and blue andalusians and none of them look right either. Maybe there's a chance of some type of recessive gene. I know with barred rocks on occasion they have white chicks. So maybe there was some weird recessive gene in these rocks that threw out nonbarred males. lol the mystery continues!!

 

[The Moonshiner]

What do you mean leg color was wrong? What color are they?
Pic of Lav orp from Hoover's. And SG from Hoover's

I'm not a huge fan of hybrids so not sure what all is out there.
There are blue barred breeds though.

Not langshan no feathered legs.
Not Andalusian they have really dark legs.
Not familiar with australops.
To me they do or at least the one looks kinda lavender.
If they're sex linked for barring I don't know any recessives that would eliminate the barring. Recessive white or dominate white would hide it but white isn't what they have so?

 

[renk777]

I looked up blue langshan, blue australorps, and blue andalusians and none of them look right either. Maybe there's a chance of some type of recessive gene. I know with barred rocks on occasion they have white chicks. So maybe there was some weird recessive gene in these rocks that threw out nonbarred males. lol the mystery continues!!

Who knew raising SGs could be so edge-of-your-seat riveting? Haha

 

[renk777]

What do you mean leg color was wrong? What color are they?
Pic of Lav orp from Hoover's. And SG from Hoover's
View attachment 1327240
View attachment 1327241
I'm not a huge fan of hybrids so not sure what all is out there.
There are blue barred breeds though.

Not langshan no feathered legs.
Not Andalusian they have really dark legs.
Not familiar with australops.
To me they do or at least the one looks kinda lavender.
If they're sex linked for barring I don't know any recessives that would eliminate the barring. Recessive white or dominate white would hide it but white isn't what they have so?

Lav orps seem to have darker legs or a dark wash. My boys were bright peach (though I doubt that's a recognized leg color LOL) and are now yellow

 

[renk777]

Mine were shipped so I probably got them day 3 of their lives bUT neither of my boys had the yellow spot on its head. ...

 

[renk777]

Starting to hope they're just ugly pullets. That would solve everything hahaha

 

[renk777]

Looked more closely at my boys....feathers on body show no barring but it almost seems as though heads/necks display a little? The darker boy does have darker hackles just starting to emerge. They appear to be the slate blue I'd expect. The lighter boy also has darker hackles coming in but they appear to have a brownish cast. Can't tell much because they're very few and just beginning to exit the skin. They're completely hidden under the chick feathers. Still in the shafts or whatever that part of the feather is called. ..

it'll be weeks before there's enough to really see what they look like.

 

[renk777]

Thinking this might be what's going on with my roos since they're single barred. It's not a long thread but the woman's roo caught my interest as the feathers underneath the hackles and saddle and such are all pretty plain. The only barred feathers appear to be those I'd expect to see come in with the adult plumage. Further down, there's a comment about a cross she's considering and how the blue barring might not be very visible at all except in the roos. So crossing my fingers this is the case with the SGs due to the single barred gene in combination with the blue... https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/sex-linked-information.261208/page-222

 

[The Moonshiner]

Nether of your light suspected cockerels are barred.
I agree double gene barred is easier to see on blue then single gene barred.
If they're barred its not just in one area and it is there with the first feathers and doesn't change with adult feathers.
I have seen many lose color and appear lighter since the barring gets more white but that is mostly roosters when they get 3 or 4 years old and up.
Attached is a single gene barred lavender chick.
Its lavender looks similar to the shade of yours.
You can see the barring pretty easily and you can see they're the first feathers coming in.