What is a sapphire gem?

[The Moonshiner]

Neither one has a dot on the head and they both have barring on the wings.

With the males being single barred instead of double barred and being on a blue chick sometimes the head spot is very hard to see which can become an issue with producing blue sex links.

 

[PachecoPeeps]

From the ones I've received, (so far) it appears light grey with no dark head, flesh colored beak and legs, are roos. That's not to say that SG roos can't have the darker beaks and legs as in the Hoover photo, it's just saying that mine do not. All of my females (if they truly are females) are a shade of grey...from medium to almost black. SOme have completely black heads with yellow throats and some have dark heads with yellow and black banding in inconsistent patterns around the eyes. All have either dark beaks and legs or flesh colored with splashes of the darker color. So in that box with the marans you posted, there is 1 with the same coloration as my roos, and 4 others that could possibly be roos based on the lighter grey plumage...though all of yours seem to have the darker splashes of color on their beaks. In the case of my batch, that could indicate females..OR...the Hoover photo is accurate and the lighter plumage paired with dark beak and legs could still be a roo Mine start their 5th week tomorrow and the suspected roos are roos...beyond any shadow of a doubt. I have one probable pullet that I still question somewhat as her comb is larger and she has a more solid feel like her 2 brothers. Though her markings and coloration scream female. I've found that all the typical markers aside, I can sometimes pick out a roo just by closing my eyes and picking them up....they have a different feel. In addition, they have a way of cocking their heads and glancing sideways to observe something that is just different than the way a pullet does so. So I want to see how this particular girl observes her environment and see how she feels when I lift her out. It's really hard to gauge color from the overhead shots into the packing carton that you posted. If you get a chance, maybe snap some pics of them lined up on a surface in daylight Then we can play the guessing game! I love the guessing game!

I will try and get some pictures up here soon. Mine are only 2 weeks and as of right now I only truly suspect one of the lighter ones to be a roo more based on his behavior then anything else. None of mine have barred wings so far . I wish Hoover would just tell us how they are "sex linked". I noticed in their stock photo it looks like the boys have no dark wash on their feet. Do your suspected boys have dark wash?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Latest pic of lil' no-name....she'll be 4 weeks on Tuesday

 

[Peppercorngal]

Check out this page: https://www.hoovershatchery.com/sapphiregem.html

 

[PachecoPeeps]

View attachment 1292636

Latest pic of lil' no-name....she'll be 4 weeks on Tuesday

She is so beautiful. Your picture gives me hope that my lighter ones will be girls.

 

[renk777]

These are supposed to be simple sex links.
Females non barred and males barred.
Mind sharing pics of the ones you think are males but not barred?

If you go further up in this thread, I posted pics of the boys and 2 girls

 

[renk777]

She is so beautiful. Your picture gives me hope that my lighter ones will be girls.

Wow! She is light! Same as my boys that have emerging combs and pink wattles at 4 weeks. It does seem as though she has dark in her beak? So maybe that is the discerning mark? Because both my boys have light beaks and legs without any grey? I'm so confused! I agree! These are sex-links...it's supposed to be simple!! If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll try to grab a pic of a boy and a girl next to each other so that you guys can see the difference.

 

[PouleNoire]

That would be great!

 

[The Moonshiner]

I'm so confused! I agree! These are sex-links...it's supposed to be simple!! If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll try to grab a pic of a boy and a girl next to each other so that you guys can see the difference.

That's what I'm interested in seeing.
Everything I've heard is that the males are barred. And there is a member here with the barred ones.
If you have non barred males EVERYTHING I've heard goes out the window.
As far as males vs females and darker vs lighter I have no idea how that could be accomplished as far as a sex link. Or as far as a sex link without barring.

 

[PachecoPeeps]

That's what I'm interested in seeing.
Everything I've heard is that the males are barred. And there is a member here with the barred ones.
If you have non barred males EVERYTHING I've heard goes out the window.
As far as males vs females and darker vs lighter I have no idea how that could be accomplished as far as a sex link. Or as far as a sex link without barring.

I'm starting to wonder and be worried about the barring. I noticed today that a good number of my chicks have some variation or barring. I really hope they didn't send me a bunch of boys when we ordered girls. The majority of the chicks are for other people too . Don't mind what we think are t he cuckoo marans in the pictures. They are meant to be barred