If you are considering adding a new chicken breed to your backyard flock, the Sapphire Gem Chicken is a fantastic choice.
As the name sounds, this chicken breed has an irresistible unique appearance that has swept the chicken realm by the foot. These birds feature a blue and lavender hue on their feathers with a grey or gold color on their necks that looks like a necklace made of gems.
The Sapphire Gem chicken is a relatively new breed compared to Wyandottes or Brahmas, but everything about screams amazing.
These medium-sized chickens have an easy-going temperament making them an excellent choice for beginners. Sapphire Gem chickens are extremely friendly and calm in nature so, they tend to get along with other chicken breeds in the flock just fine. They are a great addition to your backyard even for families with small children.
If you are looking for a chicken breed with admirable laying qualities, the Sapphire Gem chicken is a great choice. The breed is also relatively tolerant to heat and cold so it will survive well in most regions.
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Continue reading our article today as it has all you need to know about the Sapphire Gem Chicken breed.
What kind of chicken is a Sapphire Gem?
What makes a Sapphire Gem chicken?
While not much is known about this new chicken breed, it is most likely the Sapphire Gem Chicken was developed by mixing a Barred Plymouth Rock and a Blue Plymouth Rock. Being a cross between heritage and hybrid chickens makes it a healthy, cute, and strong bird.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Breed History
The Sapphire Gem Chicken is considered a fairly new chicken breed and its history is not well documented. It is, however, likely that these striking birds came from the Czech Republic.
This new status also means that there is no standard developed for the Sapphire Gem Chicken breed. And that would explain why the breed is yet to be accepted by the American Poultry Association.
Some chicken enthusiasts also call the Sapphire Gem Chicken Blue Sapphire Plymouth Rock or a Sapphire Blue Plymouth Rock due to their origin. These birds take after the egg-laying abilities of the Plymouth Rocks and color varieties of the Blue and Barred Plymouth Rock chickens.
A table for the Brahma Chicken Breed
| Good for Beginners? | Yes |
| Weight | Hen (6 lbs.), Rooster (7 lbs.) |
| Temperament | Calm, Friendly & well-mannered |
| Lifespan | 5 to 10 years |
| Egg Production | 5 weekly |
| Egg Color | Brown |
| Color Variety | Blue or Lavender |
| Good with kids | Yes |
| Are they Broody? | No |
| Price | $3 to $5 per chick |
Appearance
So, what do Sapphire Gem Chickens look like?
As mentioned earlier, the Sapphire Gem Chicken breed is relatively new. As such, there are no official breed standards set as to what they should look like. However, we have info on what you should expect these birds to look like.
As chicks and pullets, Sapphire Gem Chicken colors can vary significantly. You can expect some chicks and pullets to be more black or blue while others will likely have lavender or gray color. Males will have a white spot on their heads while females have necklace-like spots of gray or gold.
When the Sapphire Gem Chickens are fully grown, they will have lavender or blue feathers. However, it is possible that their feathers will be more lavender than blue. Often, roosters have a white dot on their wings or heads while hens have a patch of gold or gray feathers on the neck.
Both genders have a single comb, and they have a more upright stance compared to most chicken breeds.
Blue Sapphire Gem Chicken
The Blue Sapphire Gem Chicken feathers are mostly bluish with light and dark gray colors for both genders. The same applies to the Lavender Sapphire Gem Chicken. The color results from the dominant genes from the parent breeds. It is this feathering that makes these chickens unique from other breeds.
Size & Weight
Sapphire Gem Chickens are medium-sized when adults where hens weigh 4 to 6 lbs. and roosters 5 to 7 lbs.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Colors
Although there is no official standard for this chicken breed, expect a Sapphire Gem Chicken to come in either Blue or Lavender colors.
Sapphire Gem Rooster
The Sapphire Gem chicken rooster is distinguished by blue feathers with a white dot on the head or the wing. When fully mature, roosters weigh between 5 and 7 lbs.
Sapphire Gem roosters are known to be very protective of their females as well as their chicks from predators. Their famous aggressive nature helps guard their counterparts when threatened.
You should, however, be observant as they might express the same streak to nosey kids and adults when they perceive them as a threat. Like roosters from other chicken breeds, they tend to be noisy.
What is it like owning a Sapphire Gem chicken?
Other than its unique and eye-catching appearance, the Sapphire Gem Chicken is a hardy breed which makes it a great choice for novices. They have a friendly disposition that you will not find in other famous breeds such as the Wyandotte. And since they are excellent foragers, they will keep your backyard free of pests among other benefits.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Personality
The Sapphire Gem has a friendly and laid-back temperament thus good for folks that want to start keeping fowls. This chicken breed is known to be highly adaptable, a characteristic that makes them best suited for all kinds of environments.
Sapphire Gems are calm, quiet, and well-behaved birds that will interact well with kids. If you are looking for a fowl that you can cuddle and hold without a standoffish streak, this is it. For this reason, many people keep this breed as a pet rather than livestock.
Thanks to its low pecking order, this chicken breed gets along with others in the flock. Sapphire Gem chicken roosters, however, can be aggressive, especially when feeling intimidated. And while this makes great security for your chicken, it is advisable that you watch how kids interact with them.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Egg Production
Are Sapphire Gem Chickens good egg layers? Yes, they are.
If you are looking for a chicken breed that lays eggs excellently, the Sapphire Gem is celebrated for these qualities. These birds start laying when they are between 18 and 24 weeks old and will give you 4 to 5 eggs each week.
| Eggs per week | 5 eggs |
| Color | Brown |
| Size | Large to Extra-Large |
So, Sapphire chicken eggs per year amount to approx. 300 as hens can produce eggs throughout the year. This trend, however, will decrease as they 2 years like any other chicken breed, but you can still expect them to lay a few.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Egg
So, what do Sapphire Gem Chicken eggs look like?
Sapphire Gem hens lay brown eggs that are large to extra-large in size. However, this chicken breed is known for broodiness. But you can learn the process of hatching your own eggs, right?
Noise Level
Sapphire Gem chickens are not noisy birds and will be quiet for the most part of the day. Hens will notify you when they lay an egg and it will be a low level of chattiness.
If you have a rooster, however, they can be chatty throughout the day, and this is bad news for areas with noise restrictions like the urban areas. Rural areas are the best place for most roosters.
Facts about the Sapphire Gem Chicken
- Sapphire Gem chickens have a long lifespan of 5 to 10 years.
- The chicken breed grows and matures fast and starts laying when 18 to 24 weeks old.
- Sapphire Gem hens can lay up to 6 eggs that are large to extra-large in size per week making them a great breed to raise as layers.
- Due to their medium size, Sapphire Gem chickens are not good for meat.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Care Guide
Generally, most chickens have moderate care needs. However, there are some specifics that you should know about a particular chicken breed and the Sapphire Gem is no exemption.
In this section, we shall look at the health, diet, and habitat setup of the Sapphire Gem chicken breed.
Health Issues
Sapphire Gem chickens are a healthy breed due to their hardiness.
This chicken breed, however, is predisposed to health issues such as parasites, including lice, mites, and worms. Therefore, make sure that your Sapphire Gems live in a clean environment by maintaining the cleanliness of the pen and changing their food and water regularly. This will help keep pests away.
In addition, you can tell your Sapphire Gem’s health by the look and feel of their comb. If it is dry, that indicates ailments such as dehydration, fever, or anemia, among others. When the comb is blue, it might be a heart or lung problem, while a dark red-hot comb indicates fever.
When you have observed your bird’s hygiene, make sure they eat a healthy diet.
Feeding
Chickens need a diet that is appropriate for the needs of their every life stage. Birds tend to have voracious appetites and a willingness to want to eat anything. However, you should ensure that they eat a nutrient-rich, balanced, and nutritious diet daily to thrive.
Sapphire Gem chicks should be fed a diet that is rich in proteins to help support the growth of strong bodies. Therefore, ensure that the chicken feed contains at least 18 to 24 percent protein. This amount should be reduced gradually as they mature.
When your Sapphire Gem chickens mature and start laying eggs, they should be fed a chicken diet that is formulated for adults. Make sure the food has the right amount of calcium and protein so they can produce eggs with healthy and robust shells.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Lifespan
Sapphire Gems have a life expectancy of between 5 and 10 years. This will depend, however, on how healthy they are and how good you feed them.
Coop Setup and Roaming
Thanks to their medium size, Sapphire Gem chickens do not need large spaces like other breeds such as the Brahmas and Wyandottes. However, they really like to range freely so ample space is recommended for your Sapphire Gems.
Inside the Coop
Sapphire Gems need at least 4 square feet of space for each chicken and if they can get much, the better. Make sure that they also have access to a strong, wide roosting area inside the coop where they can rest at ease. Like all birds, Sapphire Gems tend to clench together during cold seasons to keep warm. So, the roosts must be able to accommodate their overall weight. A larger coop will be needed if you do not have a lot of space where they can roam outside.
It is also recommended that you ensure that sufficient natural light gets into the coop. It should also be high from the ground with bedding to maintain the required warmth.
Outside
These birds do love to range freely to forage and look for extra nutrients while exploring. As such, prepare a fenced area where they can spend time outside. While they do not fly high as other chicken breeds do, their free-ranging space should be 3 to 4 feet high to help keep them contained.
Always make sure that your Sapphire Gem’s enclosure keeps them away from predators.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Price
If you are planning to add Sapphire Gem chickens to your backyard flock, expect to spend between $3 and $5 on a chick.
Most breeders or hatcheries will sell a chick at a lower price than the one mentioned above especially if you are buying in large quantities.
Should you keep this breed?
If you are looking for a chicken breed that lays a good number of eggs per week on top of having attractive colors, the Sapphire Gem is a great choice. These birds are very friendly and affectionate and get along with children and other fowls in the flock just fine.
However, the Sapphire Gem chicken breed is not a good choice for people who want to raise birds for meat. For meat purposes, we recommend keeping the Brahma due to its large size or the Wyandotte chickens.
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