If you’re a farmer looking for a good egg-laying chicken breed with a fun personality, decent weather tolerance, and minimal care demands, then the Sapphire Gem Chicken is what you need. Considered a designer chicken due to its scarcity, the Sapphire Gem Chicken has gained popularity in the poultry scene over the past few years due to various interesting reasons. One of the factors that have piqued most people’s interest in finding out what color eggs Sapphire Gem chickens lay.
You see, the Sapphire Gem chicken is a very dedicated egg layer with an estimated range of 300 large eggs every year. With such information, it makes sense why every poultry farmer would wish to add this rare bird to his flock.
But, other than the yield, the Sapphire Gem chicken has a mesmerizing appearance that consists of blue or lavender feathers with shades of gold or grey on the neck (for the hens). Just like other birds such as the Easter Eggers, the Sapphire Gem chicken is not an official breed. So, for this and much more, this guide will offer you tons of information regarding this rare but mesmerizing chicken breed.
What Do Sapphire Gems Look Like?
The Sapphire Gem is a breed that can serve as a good backyard chicken. The exotic colors they display are enough to give your flock an eye-catching appearance. Now, if you’re new to this breed, then you’ll generally start by trying to understand what this rare breed looks like.
First, let me mention that the Sapphire Gem chicken isn’t an official breed. It’s not even recognized by the APA (American Poultry Association). However, being an unofficial breed doesn’t mean that nothing should be said about it.
The Sapphire Gem chicken is an interesting bird that has a friendly and social personality. Regarding appearance, the Sapphire Gem has shades of blue or lavender on the feathers and a mixture of varying shades depending on whether it’s a rooster or a hen.
As for the roosters, these can be distinguished by their blue feathers and white dots on their wings or foreheads. As for the hens, you can easily identify them by their blue feathers and the gray or golden rings on their necks.
Something else about the Sapphire Gem is that the blue, purple, and lavender hues are a result of the Dominate Blue gene they’re crossbred with. These include the Barred Plymouth Rock and the Blue Plymouth Rock breeds they’re crossbred with.
When Do Sapphire Gems Start Laying?
Other than its stunning colors and upright appearance, another amazing thing about the Sapphire Gem chicken is the egg laying cycle which tends to begin as early as four to six months old. This feature means that the Sapphire Gem matures much quicker than most other chickens as most of them begin laying eggs from 6 months old.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Size
Now, when it comes to the size of the Sapphire Gem chicken, you’ll realize that this is a medium-sized breed that doesn’t get too big. Similar to their descendants, the Plymouth Rock chickens, the Sapphire Gems weigh around 4 to 6 pounds on average. The males weigh around 5-7 pounds while the females weigh approximately 4-6 pounds.
Something else you need to note about the Sapphire Gem is that they have single combs on their heads. Pullets have small combs that indicate they’re not yet mature while hens have bigger combs that indicate they’re mature. Roosters, on the other hand, have large attractive combs that are noticeable.
Sapphire Gem Eggs Size
Now, the Sapphire Gem chicken is admired for its beautiful plumage and friendly personality. But, other than that, this chicken is admired for something else—its ability to lay many eggs. Although we’ll discuss that later, the Sapphire Gem lays large brown eggs that weigh around 57-64 grams.
But, other than the size of the eggs, the Sapphire Gem lays brown eggs rather than blue eggs. The reason why we’ve mentioned this is because most people tend to confuse the Sapphire Gem with the Sapphire Chicken.
Sapphire Gem Chicken Male vs. Female
If you’re looking to add the Sapphire Gem chicken as part of your flock, you need to learn how to differentiate the roosters from the hens. So, to help you out, we’ve summarized some differences between Sapphire Gem roosters and hens in the form of a table.
| Sapphire Gem Roosters | Sapphire Gem Hens | |
| Appearance | Roosters can be distinguished by their blue feathers and white spots on their wings or heads. | Hens, on the other hand, have blue feathers with gray or golden feathers around the necks. |
| Size | About the size, roosters are heavier than hens weighing anywhere from 5-7 pounds. | Hens, on their side, are lighter than roosters and weigh 4-6 pounds. |
| Noise | Sapphire Gem chickens are generally less noisy. The same applies to the roosters. But, although they’re docile and gentle, you’ll obviously expect them to crow in the morning. | As for the hens, these ones hardly make any noise. ln fact, the only noise you’ll hear are little chatters during the day. |
| Aggressiveness | Now, roosters are known to be territorial and protective. The same case applies to Sapphire Gem roosters, which are quite aggressive when they detect potential predators. | As for the hens, they are friendly and easy-going. They’re calm, docile, and well-behaved. |
How Many Eggs Do Sapphire Gems Lay?
As a novice, it’s easy to ask how many eggs do Sapphire Gems lay. Now, the Sapphire Gem is a breed that’s well-known for its excellent egg-laying feature. Unlike most other chicken breeds, this one is capable of laying up to 5 eggs each week translating to roughly 290 eggs annually.
With such a high figure, it’s obvious this bird is an excellent year-round layer meaning it never stops laying eggs during cold winter months. Since its egg-laying cycle is never affected by changes in temperatures, the Sapphire Gem can survive in cold regions and still give a high yield in terms of egg production.
To those asking about Sapphire Gem chicken egg color, this bird lays large brown eggs. It’s also good to note that this bird starts laying eggs as early as 18 to 24 weeks. Egg production; however, tends to drop after two years of laying eggs symbolizing the hens are aging.
Sapphire Olive Egger vs. Sapphire Gem
Now, the Sapphire Olive Egger and the Sapphire Gem are two birds that are closely related. In case you’re planning to add both breeds to your flock, then you’ll definitely need to differentiate them.
| Sapphire Olive Egger | Sapphire Gem | |
| Breeding | The Sapphire Olive Egger is a hybrid breed that’s formed after breeding an Easter Egger and a Blue Plymouth Rock (Sapphire Gem). | The Sapphire Gem is developed after crossing the Barred Plymouth Rock and a Blue Plymouth Rock. |
| Eggs | Both breeds lay large eggs. However, the Sapphire Olive Egger lays olive eggs that contain some bluish and brownish hues. That’s because they’re a cross breed of blue and brown laying chicken breeds. | As for the Sapphire Gems, these ones lay brown eggs. |
| Production | Regarding production, both of these chicken breeds begin laying eggs almost at the same time. However, the yield is quite different. Sapphire Olive Eggers lay around 4-5 eggs weekly translating to around 200-240 eggs annually. | Sapphire Gems, on the other hand, are considered excellent layers as they can manage between 280-300 eggs annually. These chickens are not affected by cold weather meaning they can still produce under low temperatures. |
| Appearance | They have smoky gray, blue, and lavender feathers. Females have bluish-gray feathers and ridges of feathers on their heads. Since they’re a cross breed of Sapphire Gems and Easter Eggers, they can sometimes have muffs and feathered legs. | Sapphire Gems have blue or lavender featherings. Hens from both the Sapphire Olive Egger and the Sapphire Gems have darker coloring on their necks while males have white dots on their heads. |
History of Sapphire Gem Chicken
The Sapphire Gem is a new breed that’s gaining popularity pretty fast. Since it’s new, the American Poultry Association is yet to officially recognize it as a standard breed. Also, following its new status, not much is known about this breed.
However, from what we’ve discussed, in terms of appearance and production, the Sapphire Gem is a hybrid that’s a result of crossing two Plymouth Rock breeds. According to most enthusiasts, the first Sapphire Gem appeared in the Czech Republic where a farmer crossbred these two breeds.
Taking Care Requirements of Sapphire Gem Chickens
If you’re planning to add the Sapphire Gem to your flock, then you need to start by learning how to take care of them. The best thing about this chicken breed is that it doesn’t demand any special treatment. But, considering they’re prolific layers, I believe there are some things you need to learn to ensure that these birds don’t lower their egg production.
- Diet
The first thing you must consider when raising Sapphire Gems is the diet. When they’re chicks, you should feed them with a balanced diet that contains 18-24% protein. When they develop into egg-laying pullets, you should lower the amount of protein and instead increase the level of calcium to help them develop strong eggshells.
- Coop Setup
Another factor you must consider when growing Sapphire Gem chicken is the setup and size of the coop. Now, Sapphire Gems are birds that hate being confined in small spaces. In fact, one Sapphire Gem demands a space of around 4 square feet to thrive.
So, with these figures, it’s obvious you’ll need a large coop to house these rare birds. To those of you with large backyard spaces, then it’s okay to allow these birds to roam freely. Since they’re natural foragers, they will be happy to explore for extra nutrients. They’re also good at detecting and avoiding predators so you won’t fear losing your chickens.
- Temperature
Although Sapphire Gems are hardy in all weather conditions, extra precaution is needed to keep them safe. For instance, during winter conditions, these birds can be susceptible to frostbites. Therefore, you should keep them warm from freezing cold weather by keeping them indoors and installing a coop heater.
During summer, you should find ways to cool the birds off. Here, you can consider ventilating the coop to allow fresh cool air to circulate to the inside. You can also consider feeding them with frozen fruits and plenty of cool water to aid in hydration.
- Health Concerns
When it comes to health issues, the Sapphire Gem is considered a healthy and hardy chicken that’s resilient to most illnesses and environmental conditions. In fact, this chicken doesn’t suffer any hereditary health issues as some breeds do.
However, just like most breeds, the Sapphire Gem suffers the usual lice, worms, and parasite concerns. So, to avoid these issues, you should take them for regular vet checkups. Also, ensure that you spray the coops with the recommended pesticides. Clean the coop regularly and don’t forget to replace the water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Are Sapphire Gem Chickens Friendly?
Yes, they are. Sapphire Gems are descendants of the Plymouth Rock, which is a breed admired for being docile and friendly. Since they’re hybrids, these birds are also known to be generally calm and gentle with a friendly and easy-going temperament.
These birds are well-behaved and enjoy being close to humans. It’s due to this characteristic that most humans prefer to keep these birds as pets and for egg-laying purposes. Lastly, Sapphire Gems get along with other chicken breeds making them ideal when kept in the same flock.
Q2. What Is the Weight of Sapphire Gem Chickens?
If you’re planning to keep Sapphire Gems, then it’s obvious you’d like to know about the weight. In most cases, these chickens are ranked as medium-sized making them a poor option if you’re raising them for meat. Although we discussed this earlier, the roosters weigh around 6-8 pounds while the hens weigh 4-6 pounds.
Q3. How Can I Breed Sapphire Gem Chickens?
Well, breeding the Sapphire Gem chicken isn’t hard. Just like other breeds, all you need is to introduce a Sapphire Gem rooster to your hens. In most cases, people breed these chickens for egg production. Therefore, if you intend to get meat or get hens that can go broody, then the Sapphire Gem isn’t the best choice for you.
Final Thoughts
The Sapphire Gem is a new breed that’s quite rare and hard to obtain. As crossbreeds of two Plymouth Rock breeds, these birds have gorgeous blue-gray plumage that makes them an excellent addition to your backyard flock.
About the Sapphire Gem chicken egg color, these birds produce large brown eggs. They’re good egg layers as they can lay up to 5 eggs a week and around 290 eggs annually.
Lastly, Sapphire Gems have a docile, gentle, and easy-going personality that makes them good choices if you have kids around. They also enjoy foraging meaning you can expect them to roam around and not run away.
Read Also:
- Why Are Chicken Eggs Not Hatching After 24 Days?
- How Long Do Chickens Sit on Eggs?
- When Do Easter Eggers Chickens Start Laying Eggs?
- What Color Are Guinea Fowl Eggs?
- Rooster Laying Eggs
- What Time Do Hens Usually Lay?
- Why Does My Chicken Lay Down All Day?
- Double Yolk Egg Good or Bad
Hello, I am John Reid. I have been raising chickens for the last 15 years. I have got my experience from my father. My father is the owner of a large chicken farm. This is our family business that has been continuing for over 35 years. I am very interested in backyard chickens and I know how to take care of them. You can learn more About Us here. Happy Reading!!
