What is a sapphire gem?

[RingoldChick]

Yeah, wait and see now.. I believe the pictures are true to color. I agree with you. But we'll see what happened when they're 7 wks.

Thanks so much, renk777!

 

[Mitsos Lamprogiorgos]

Dominant Blue D 107.
Maybe this!!!

 

[Mitsos Lamprogiorgos]

Thank you all for inviting me here.

I will post some information from the official site of the company and from my experience.

According to the company,
DOMINANT BLUE D 107 is a very popular attractively colored layer that is used in intensive, small-scale and free-range production that is exported as GPS, PS, and commercial stock.

This layer is very similar to the old Andalusian native breed and our pure lines use colour sexing in the hybridization programme. This layer is highly adapted for sub-optimal and harsh production conditions for intensive production systems in Nigeria and Ghana and has very good hatchability in hot climates. This programme is used in free range and small-scale farming by our customers in Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Nepal, and Ecuador.

The characteristic of this programme is high egg productivity (about 300 brown shell eggs).

DOMINANT BLUE D 107 is a result of crossing synthetic original paternal stock Blue Plymouth Rock with Barred Plymouth Rock maternal stock. Day old chicks are color sexed. Day old cockerel chicks are barred with a white spot on the head and day-old hen chicks are dark without a spot on the head.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Very good for the climate of Greece. She is an excellent layer of large to extra large pinkish brown eggs, while at a very old age she can lay even jumbo eggs. Good forager, not as excellent as the minorca, the andalusian, the leghorn, the spanish, the English rose-comb bantam which are the "caffeine chickens"... Loves hugs, not flighty at all, a bit aggressive towards other chickens.

In the end of the third laying season, she can be fed with a low protein food, in order to stop laying (corn, wheat, some oyster flour) and become a good meat bird, but not as good as the heritage barred plymouth rock.

They had a tendency to broodiness in a very old age and were protective mothers, but the heritage barred plymouth rock is a better brooder.

Laying abilities without artificial lighting and in hobby pharming: excellent layer, especially in the three first laying seasons (about 7 eggs a week on Spring and 5+ on other weather conditions), but needs to be fed with oat, so, sunn flower and other sources of protein (dairy yoghurt once a month, insects, warms, etc.). Of course, she needs the corn (especially on cold winter days before sleeping), the wheat (vitamin E) and fresh fruit and vegetables. Oyster shell helps the eggshell, especially in hens who are old.

Bear in mind that if protein stops, the laying also stops. If they only free-range and not fed up with the protein food, they will lay even less than an English rose-comb bantam hen(!!!!!!!!), who needs less protein and is more capable of finding it alone.

 

[renk777]

Thank you all for inviting me here.

I will post some information from the official site of the company and from my experience.

According to the company,
DOMINANT BLUE D 107 is a very popular attractively colored layer that is used in intensive, small-scale and free-range production that is exported as GPS, PS, and commercial stock.

This layer is very similar to the old Andalusian native breed and our pure lines use colour sexing in the hybridization programme. This layer is highly adapted for sub-optimal and harsh production conditions for intensive production systems in Nigeria and Ghana and has very good hatchability in hot climates. This programme is used in free range and small-scale farming by our customers in Switzerland, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Nepal, and Ecuador.

The characteristic of this programme is high egg productivity (about 300 brown shell eggs).

DOMINANT BLUE D 107 is a result of crossing synthetic original paternal stock Blue Plymouth Rock with Barred Plymouth Rock maternal stock. Day old chicks are color sexed. Day old cockerel chicks are barred with a white spot on the head and day-old hen chicks are dark without a spot on the head.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Very good for the climate of Greece. She is an excellent layer of large to extra large pinkish brown eggs, while at a very old age she can lay even jumbo eggs. Good forager, not as excellent as the minorca, the andalusian, the leghorn, the spanish, the English rose-comb bantam which are the "caffeine chickens"... Loves hugs, not flighty at all, a bit aggressive towards other chickens.

In the end of the third laying season, she can be fed with a low protein food, in order to stop laying (corn, wheat, some oyster flour) and become a good meat bird, but not as good as the heritage barred plymouth rock.

They had a tendency to broodiness in a very old age and were protective mothers, but the heritage barred plymouth rock is a better brooder.

Laying abilities without artificial lighting and in hobby pharming: excellent layer, especially in the three first laying seasons (about 7 eggs a week on Spring and 5+ on other weather conditions), but needs to be fed with oat, so, sunn flower and other sources of protein (dairy yoghurt once a month, insects, warms, etc.). Of course, she needs the corn (especially on cold winter days before sleeping), the wheat (vitamin E) and fresh fruit and vegetables. Oyster shell helps the eggshell, especially in hens who are old.

Bear in mind that if protein stops, the laying also stops. If they only free-range and not fed up with the protein food, they will lay even less than an English rose-comb bantam hen(!!!!!!!!), who needs less protein and is more capable of finding it alone.

This is great! Thank you!! So am I correct in assuming that if we're unable to see chicks within first day or so, that darker birds tend to be pullets (since light spot on males might have vanished?). Also, when you mention they lay for 3 seasons, am I correct in my understanding that that refers to 3 years with the winter months being reduced due to weather/light? Our production reds are on a 2 year plan as they really only lay well for the first 2 years but I've really grown attached to my SGs and would love to justify keeping them on longer <3

 

[Mitsos Lamprogiorgos]

Light spot on the head of the baby chick is s characteristic of the male chick only, which is not becoming solid blue but blue barred in color.

Other hybrids for laying purpose are becoming blue or blue copper both the two sexes (blue haze as an example).

If they are fed with protein every day in their first two seasons, they will lay a lot, but they will burn out. If they are not fed with protein everyday, they will not lay daily, so their bodies will be resting and they will be capable of laying for many many years, because they will live much more naturally.

In the professional farming, they are products, so they are used for laying about 15 months. In the hobby farming, they are pets, grass eaters, pest controllers and secondary products, layers, fryers.

The winters in my town are not very cold, so they continue laying through the winter too. We have about 16oC in the winter and sometimes more. Also, we have enough sunlight in the winter too.

 

[Mitsos Lamprogiorgos]

My aunt may hatch some blue sex link chicks, but not from the parent stock of the dominant cz, maybe we will use splash Andalusian roosters!!!

 

[renk777]

Light spot on the head of the baby chick is s characteristic of the male chick only, which is not becoming solid blue but blue barred in color.

Other hybrids for laying purpose are becoming blue or blue copper both the two sexes (blue haze as an example).

If they are fed with protein every day in their first two seasons, they will lay a lot, but they will burn out. If they are not fed with protein everyday, they will not lay daily, so their bodies will be resting and they will be capable of laying for many many years, because they will live much more naturally.

In the professional farming, they are products, so they are used for laying about 15 months. In the hobby farming, they are pets, grass eaters, pest controllers and secondary products, layers, fryers.

The winters in my town are not very cold, so they continue laying through the winter too. We have about 16oC in the winter and sometimes more. Also, we have enough sunlight in the winter too.

This is the feed we use for our layers... thoughts? http://www.newcountryorganics.com/s...rn-free-soy-free-50-pounds.html#product-tabs1

 

[Mitsos Lamprogiorgos]

With an excellent commercial laying food they can lay almost every day. But, if you feed them every day with layer food, they will burn out at a young age, because their bodies will not rest. You can give them layer food 4-5 times a week and low protein food 2-3 times a week. That;' from my experience. I am a hobby farmer, not an expert. And now..., because of problems with thieves and financial crisis I only have 3 chickens left.

 

[bonsaiherb]

I've never had any sex links, any thoughts on these birds doing well in a northern climate?

I am considering adding this bird. Developed in the CZECH republic it would certainly be cold hardy. I
LIKE the size of the bird and the fact that this blue bird would lay brown eggs and my brown Ameraucana's would lay blue eggs. - Might be a good OE cross in the future. I also have a dark cuckoo pattern EE rooster.

 

[Spartan22]

So cute! Here are mine in they're 7th week....starting to overcrowd the tractor but while weather is still so temperamental, it's easier to tarp itView attachment 1327065 View attachment 1327067 View attachment 1327069 so they'll have to deal a bit longer. I think you can guess who the roos are

So those two light gray feathered ones on the far left and right w/ red combs are definitely roo huh? Then I have a roo or 2. Mine are still over 2wks old, what will I do with them ha ha. I think I also have a few roo from my 1 wk old Black Copper Marans hatched.
Thinking my basement freezer will get full, we haven’t even consumed the last roo I butchered 6 months ago.