Sapphire Gem Chicks - New Hybrid "Created" in the Czech Republic

What do you do when it is the middle of winter, and you walk into your local farm store to see a brand new breed of chickens that will look really cool as laying hens? That's what happened on February 1, 2018, when I looked at the intriguing name of "Sapphire Gem" over a brooder full of newly arrived chicks; and then read the description from the Hoover's Hatchery catalog which stated they will have blue and lavender feathers.

I have wanted a lavender colored chicken for awhile, so when I saw these I truly wanted them. I tried three times to leave the store, but kept walking back to look at these Sapphire Gem chicks. I continued to think: It's far too early to get chicks with nearly two more months of winter. In addition, the main caretaker of the chick area didn't know if they would get anymore of the Sapphire Gems. That did it, four Sapphire Gem chicks, along with two Easter Eggers came home with me that day.

The Sapphire Gem was "created" in the Czech Republic; and now Hoover's Hatchery in Rudd, Iowa had them for sell. Since the Sapphire Gems are a new hybrid, I wanted to get more information about them and pass it on to my readers. Luke at Hoover's Hatchery was kind enough to take the time to answer multiple questions about the Sapphire Gems. The following are the questions and answers:

Since the Sapphire Gems are a hybrid, do the males chicks look different than the females? If the males chicks are a different color, what is the chick coloring? Are the adult males different in coloring?

Sapphire gems are similar to a black sex link in that the females will be solid blue/ slate colored at hatch and the males will have a white dot on the head.  As adults the females will be solid blue where the males will have some barring.

How long did it take the breeder(s) to develop the Sapphire Gems (I know this is considered generations, so how many generations)?

I am not sure how long it took them to develop these lines, but they are always constantly being selected each generation.

Was this breed developed just for the increased egg production or a combination of feather coloring and egg production?

This breed is both bred for their coloring and also for superior egg production.

The Sapphire Gem info in your catalog states they will do well in hot weather, is it because they have bigger combs? If so, will they be kind of like Rhode Island Reds, which actually do well in cold weather too, despite their comb size (which can be coated to protect them from frostbite?) Plus, the Andalusian, which is stated as part of their breeding, is considered a cold hardy bird, so I would think some of this would carry over to help the Sapphire Gems in the cold weather?

They should do well in both warm and cold climates.

I have noticed with my Sapphire Gem chicks that they are very friendly compared to any other breed I have had  since 2014? Was this part of the breed creation process, to create friendly chickens for families?

One of the traits they select for in their breeds is docility, they want a calm bird that performs well in all environments.

They say egg layers will typically drop egg production about 20 percent each year, will this be typical of this hybrid?

They will usually lay well for two years and then a yearly decrease in production of 20% after that is probably a good rule to follow.

Is there an explanation why some of the Sapphire Gem pullets are black, while others are the pretty grey color?

They are still trying to finish refining the breeding stock, so there are a couple males in the breeding flock that are blue instead of splash which causes the occasional black chick to show up.  They will still have the same temperament as the others though.

There had been a mix up at Rural King when I bought what was marked as the Sapphire Gem pullet chicks, but they fixed the problem later by giving me the Sapphire Gems I had actually paid extra for. One of the things I was told later, since I was still concerned I didn't have the correct ones because 3 of 4 of mine were so black, was to gently pull out the wing to see a white patch on the feathering. Is there an explanation for why this white patch occurs? It is something I see now without having to pull the wing out on one.

Many black chicks will have white on the ends of the wings when they hatch and before they get their adult plumage, they should grow out of the white feathers.

With the pullet chicks either being a grey or the black, will there be a difference in what they look like as hens, as in some being a darker lavender grey?

(Mine are about 8 weeks old now, so I know two of the black ones have gotten lighter, but not as much as the one grey one has been all along. One black one is still very dark.)

If they are truly black they will feather out with black feathers, but sometimes you can have a very dark gray almost black looking chick that will end up with dark slate colored feathers as adults.

How will these get along with other breeds? I have mine in with 2 Ameraucana Easter Eggers, and 3 Welsummers, and all do fine. I already know some of the pecking order. The Welsummers are at the bottom.

They should get along well with the other breeds.

How did Hoover's Hatchery find out about this new hybrid? 

We ran into the breeder at a poultry trade show.

My thanks to Luke and Hoover Hatchery for providing additional information about the Sapphire Gem hybrid hens!

To order Sapphire Gem chicks go to:
Hoover's Hatchery

Imprinting/Bonding with Chicks

One of three Ameraucana Chicks purchased
from a farm store. She is the smallest.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

I have been a chicken keeper since 2014. Some may say that is not a long time; or that I don’t have much experience, but one thing I did, before getting any chicks, was read/research as much as I could find at the time. For me, this research was in the form of books. I know for a fact that this sets me apart from a lot of others who get chickens who know nothing about their care before buying them. As a former licensed wildlife rehabilitator and an avid animal lover/rescuer all my life, one thing that bothers me are the number of people who get an animal without any prior knowledge of the proper care of said animal.

I have extensive knowledge and experience in animal care, but I will never say I am an expert, because there is always room to learn more. My experience has helped me ponder and figure out a situation I have recently observed. I have a theory when it comes to chicks purchased from hatcheries that are mailed directly to you, and those chicks at farm stores that have been put into large brooder tanks waiting for humans to purchase them, which can be days, even weeks.

What is my theory? I believe it all has to do with imprinting, and that time period being longer than what some researcher have stated.

According to www.dictionary.com, “Imprinting – rapid learning that occurs during a brief receptive period, typically soon after birth or hatching, and establishes a long-lasting behavioral response to a specific individual or object, as attachment to parent, offspring, or site.”

www.medicinenet.com has this to say: “Imprinting psychological: A remarkable phenomenon that occurs in animals, and theoretically in humans, in the first hours of life. The newborn creature bonds to the type of animal it meets at birth and begins to pattern its behavior after them. In humans, this is often called bonding, and it usually refers to the relationship between the newborn and its parents.”

The darkest Ameraucana chick.
She has blue legs and feet.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

As a wildlife rehabber, I was taught about imprinting. I know that the time period that an animal can imprint is controversial. Some say it is only a few hours after being born or hatched. Others say it is thirteen to sixteen hours. Another researcher states it is thirty hours, and there are still more time frames stated.

I believe imprinting can have various factors, which can cause the time period to fluctuate, which is what I have seen with my chicks. I believe that window of opportunity to have your chicks imprint to you, bond with you can still be open several days after the chicks have hatched.

With my mail ordered mystery chicks, I now have experience-buying chicks both ways; previously I purchased them from farm stores. I noticed something right away with the mystery chicks – they were friendlier than the ones I’ve gotten from the farm stores. I mentioned this to the work friend who had ordered the chicks. She said she agreed. This set into motion my desire to figure out why. 

With the mystery chicks, I could put my hand in the brooder box, wiggle my fingers and the chicks would come running to my hand. They loved/love to hear me say, “Hey, chick, chick, chick.” These things started on day one – several hours after I’d let them have time to rehydrate, eat, warm-up, and settle in after being shipped in the mail. When these chicks were/are picked up, they peep with contentment, and love to be petted and held. Now that they are older and outside, I can let them out in the yard and call them back to their house. Plus, they stay close to me.

Nearly two weeks ago, I purchased three Ameraucana chicks from a farm store. This has allowed me to have a current view and comparison of both ways to buy chicks. Instantly, I noticed the farm store chicks showed great fear of just seeing my hand, or hearing my voice. When picked up, their peeps were/are of alarm, rather than contentment. They struggled against being picked-up/held, with only small progress shown in this area up to this date.

My “mystery chicks” came from Murray McMurray Hatchery. According to a McMurray phone rep, Kim, these chicks are put into the mail within an hour or two of hatching. Straight-run chicks would be boxed up the quickest. If you order pullets (females), the time would put them closer to the two-hour mark, because they have to be sexed (determined whether they are males or females) prior to being boxed up and shipped.

In the case of the mail-order mystery chicks, they had time to view humans before being shipped, yet they are not bonded with those hatchery humans. I believe the shipping time, inside of a box, might be kind of like being put back inside an egg-shell waiting to hatch, allowing the chicks to then view the human (me) that immediately started taking care of them in a quiet home as their mom – imprinting/bonding, even though it was well past the various time spans stated for imprinting.

The third Ameraucana chick.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

When it comes to getting chicks from farm stores, those chicks start out with the same process at the hatchery, one to two hours in that environment before being shipped in the mail. At the farm stores, these chicks are put into large brooder tanks. They have food and water dumped into containers, and left “alone.” There is no immediate close, loving interaction with a human, and it is not a quiet environment. With some farm stores, people have access to the brooders, so these chicks look up at, what I am sure appears to them as huge monsters - people/kids staring down at them, grabbing at them, in some cases dropping them, along with all the noise, and more.

Then for example, someone like me comes along to buy three of the Ameraucana farm store chicks. Many days have past, closing the hatching/imprinting/bonding window time. Fear is already present in the way these chicks react. How do you bond? Or can you even bond?

I do believe the farm store chicks can bond, but it takes more time, effort, and patience, but I also realize that some may not despite all my efforts. What do I do? I spend time with them everyday, holding and talking to them. When reaching into the brooder box, I leave my hand at the chicks level and let them come near it, moving slowly to gently touch them. I use the same phrase – “Here, chick, chick, chick” when I talk to them. Tenderly, I pick a chick up, hold it close, stroking along her neck and back, and talk to her.

In conclusion, I have seen the evidence that the imprinting/bonding time with chicks can vary from what the studies that have been published over the years, state. I believe that the shipping process, which is the time the chicks are still absorbing the yolk, and being inside the shipping box, has something to do with the imprinting time being able to be delayed, if the chicks are going straight into a home. I believe purchasing directly from a hatchery is a win-win for the humans who want to have chicks that are pets/friends.

(I wish to thank Murray McMurray Hatchery's phone rep - Kim for answering my questions which helped in the writing of the post.) Click below to view their website.

Murray McMurray Hatchery website

Comfort Heating Plate for Chicks

Photo by Tracey R. Simmons

Last year, I purchased the Comfort Heating Plate, but never used it because my chicks no longer needed a heat source. I wanted to find something that would be safer than a heat light. (I knew of a house that had burned down because of a heat light. The humans survived, but the baby animals died in the fire, so I have never been fond of the idea of using these heat lamps.)

The Comfort Heating Plate was developed in Holland. It is a safe heating system for chicks and other kinds of birds. I call it an electrical/mechanical hen, because it simulates the heat a mother hen would produce. The chicks are able to get underneath it like they would do with a hen, which then surrounds them with warmth.

Photo By Tracey R. Simmons 2017

The heating plate is easy to use, and has a double safety system. Best of all, it is economical, using very low energy, saving 75% on electrical cost compared to a heat light. (I just received my electricity bill; and I did save!)

The heating plate is easy to use, and has adjustable legs. As the chicks grow, you raise the plate by lowering the legs. The instructions that come with it, explains at what height the plate should be for the chicks, since it is the bottom side of the plate that is warm.

One yellow chick under the Comfort Heating Plate
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

In addition, you can purchase a clear dome to go over the top of the plate. I highly recommend you get this dome, because within a few days, my chicks were trying to get on top of the heating plate. The dome stopped them.

I am very please with the Comfort Heating Plate. I would suggest to anyone keeping chicks to purchase this as a safer source of heat. It comes in different sizes. I purchased the 30x30cm size, which will work for 20-25 chicks.

(I was not paid anything for rating the Comfort Heating Plate. I just wanted to tell others about it, because of the safety issues I see with the heating lamps, plus the cost savings the Comfort Heating Plate provides.)

Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

I purchased my Comfort Heating Plate from Premier1. Go to:
www.premier1supplies.com      or call 800/282-6631.

Chicks and Honeybees

Seven Chicks
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

I was going to add six chicks this spring, but not until the end of March or beginning of April. That all changed two Sundays ago when a text came through asking if I wanted some chicks, because twenty-five were coming by mail to a co-worker. My answer at that moment was - "Humm." Some of my reservations were because of horror stories I'd heard about mailed chicks - broken legs and broken necks - and still alive. Broken legs can be fixed, but broken necks are a different story.

My plan was to add certain kinds of chicks that would be great egg layers, since I had more people wanting my organically feed chickens' eggs. Organic feed cost more, so I need to have a good return, when it comes to eggs, for that cost. This led to the question of - what kind were coming, and with that answered, the research began. There were twelve different kinds coming, with a thirteenth being an extra bonus and an unknown exotic.

Of the twelve kinds, I wanted a Black Star, Red Star, Pearl White Leghorn, Buff Rock, New Hampsire Red, and either a Speckled Sussex or Araucanas/Ameraucanas, which I was leaning towards the Araucanas/Ameraucanas for the colored eggs they provide. The other kinds coming were Black Cochin, Dorkings - they have five toes, Columbian Wyandotte, Golden Polish, and Turkens. With these breeds, I studied what the chicks looked like, finidng that some look like others, but made notes hoping I would be able to sort them.

Their first evening home.
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

On the following Wednesday, the chicks arrived safe and alive, despite temps in the teens. With that many different breeds, and chicks who do not look the way they will once grown, I sat on the floor looking inside the box of peeping chicks. The ones, I will call weird looking, like the Turkens, who have naked necks, were easy to identify. There was only one "normal" type chick that was easy to single out - the Black Stars who were black with white tips on their wings.

For all the sorting done, the Black Star was the only one I knew I had that I wanted. The rest was a guessing game, or as a friend stated were - "mystery chicks." Nevertheless, I brought home my chicks and fell in love watching them, and listening to their sweet peeping songs.

I noticed how at ease these chicks were with me, which was different than the chicks I'd gotten at a farm store the last few years. I am still learning about chickens, but I wonder if the babies who come through the mail, view their human caretaker as their mommy right away. In comparison, the chicks from the farm stores are kept in huge horse/cattle watering troughs, with hordes of monsterous sized humans staring down at them, and even though it is not supposed to be done - reaching in to pick them up, etc. I think this creates fear and makes it harder for the chicks to not see their human caretaker as a threat. Just my theory.

Six of seven chicks. The Black Star has white tip on her wing.
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons

 My chicks are all thriving and growing. Some are getting more color on their wing feathers, like the two little rusty colored ones in the picture on the left. I think both are the Speckled Sussex. As this mystery unfolds, I will add updates.

In the honeybee department, I checked my hive, and the great news is they got through the winter. We got lucky with the winter, as it was mostly a mild winter. That helped my bees survive with the situation they were in last fall - not enough food. It helped that I was determined to help them anyway I could. The candy boards were a big help. Days in January and February above 50 degrees so that I could check food supply, and change the boards also helped!!

I am providing pictures of the hive, as of Friday, March 24, 2017, including some up close views of worker bees (females) with pollen on their legs. Enjoy!

You can see honey on the upper frame.

Brown stuff is a pollen patty - food which will help queen lay more.

Two worker bees coming in with yellow pollen on their legs.

All pictures were taken and are copyrighted 

© to Tracey R. Simmons, creator of Paws4Hearts Rescue, 2017. 

"Eggsplanation" - Egg Carton Three-Digit Code Deciphered

290 - What does this code mean?
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

There is a date and three-digit number on the end of an egg carton, so what does that three digit number mean? How fresh are the eggs when they are put in the carton?

The three-digit number is the date when the eggs where put in the carton. For example, the yellow carton in the above picture has the number 290 printed on it. That means the eggs were put in that carton on October 20^th. The gray carton, pictured below, has the number 327, so those eggs where put in that carton on November 23^rd.

Three-digit codes made easier for you to figure out:

001-031 = January dates

032-059 = February dates

060-090 = March dates

091-120 = April dates

121-151 = May dates

152-181 = June dates

182-212 = July dates

213-243 = August dates

244-273 = September dates

274-304 = October dates

305-334 = November dates

335-365 = December dates

327 below the "SELL" is the three-digit code.
© Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2017

Now that these date codes have been deciphered by the month they fall in, you can figure out the actually day the number falls on, if you choose. You need to know that this number does not mean the eggs were laid on that date. Those eggs could be up to thirty days old before being put in a carton and sent to the grocery store for you to purchase.

Some of these grocery store egg cartons have "Fresh" stamped on them. In my opinion, this is not fresh, but I am biased because I have my own chickens. I collect and put my eggs in the carton the day they are laid. Then, my eggs are kept refrigerated. I can say as a person who hated eggs as a kid, that there is a taste difference between my truly fresh eggs and store bought eggs.

Which would you prefer?

Beehive & Chickens Ready for Winter?

My apologies for missing my post. I have been under the weather for nearly two months. Lots of various respiratory problems going around among adults and children in the area. The worse being pneumonia with pleurisy, which I am recovering from.

Hive closed up for the winter.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons
November 2016

Let's update the farm news. First, my beehive has been shut up for the winter. The bees didn't have the food stores or population needed after having the chemical over-spray kill off a large number of worker bees in late summer.

The queen did her best to increase the population, along with my efforts to keep the girls fed. I used a thick sugar water mixture all through September up to mid November when the temps were suppose to drop below freezing. At this point, the mixture, in glass jars, had to be removed to keep them from freezing and breaking. I did add a candy board, which is a supplemental feed for winter use.

It will take a miracle for this hive to survive the winter, but God still does miracles. Time will tell.

The chickens were laying well, but have decreased some with the lack of light. The older girls (Wyandottes) are either molting or have finished molting. I feel so bad for the two girls who are still molting, with temps dropping below zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Golden Laced Wyandotte Hen Molting.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons
December 2016

 I have wrapped the north and west ends of the chicken run with tarps. I used to use twine to tie the tarps to the fencing, which was time consuming and cold on the fingers. Then, I started using wire zip-ties, which I believe is the best way to attach the tarps. (Wire cutters work well in the spring to cut the zip-ties.)

The two Wyandotte girls who are still molting have access to being inside their house, but seem to prefer being outside most of the time. At night after shutting their small door, I always go around to the big door to check, by flashlight, that all are accounted for. The molting girls either climb into a nest box for warmth, or huddle beside the other girls.

Before the light fades away in the late afternoon, I give the chickens some kind of treat to help them stay warmer throughout the night. The various treats I give included: oatmeal, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and more. All feed and treats are organic.

Red oak providing warmth.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons
December 2016

The woodstove is keeping our house nice and toasty. I am thankful for this warmth, as it is cheaper than propane or electric heat. Carrying in wood is a free chance at getting exercise.

Stay warm and have a wonderful Christmas!!

Pumpkin Plants and Chickens

Pumpkin bloom
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2016

Last summer, I had a volunteer pumpkin plant start just outside the chicken pen. The previous fall, I had given my hens an organic pie pumpkin I’d grown. (Pie pumpkins are smaller and meater than carving pumpkins.) It was a tasty treat they enjoyed pecking at and eventually eating. Obviously, they had flipped seeds around, with one seed landing just outside their fenced area.

As fall turned into winter, with lots of heavy snows, that one seed lay frozen to the ground. The life within that seed waited for the mounds of snow to melt, and the warmth of spring to come. As can happen in the Midwest, the cold of winter lingered. Finally, spring came according to the calendar, but not in temperatures.

When the ground and air did warm, I notice the beginning growth of the “volunteer” pumpkin. It was an accident, but good can come from accidents. I had read that squash could be grown vertically if given the right support, so I let the pumpkin grow. The pumpkin’s vines slowly reached up towards the sun, sometimes attaching itself to the fence on its own, and at other times I helped attach it. As those vines reached, they snaked their way up the fence and over the chicken-wired top.

This year's two pumpkin plant growin well, until...
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2016

I had planned to put a tarp over the top of the chickens’ pen during the summer, to give the hens shade. The huge leaves of the pumpkin plant became that shade, like multiple little umbrellas providing relief from the sun’s heat. In addition, I didn’t have to do any weeding. That plant provided eight flavorful pumpkins.

Since pumpkins are in the squash family, they can be stored for a period of time. I was able to give the hens a pumpkin every few weeks throughout the winter. This was a nice treat; and it helped relieve some of the winter boredoms for the hens, since they can’t do a lot of scratching in the frozen ground.

When I broke open the pumpkins for the chickens, I saved some of the seeds, and deliberately tossed seeds just outside the chicken pen. I wanted to duplicate what had started as an “accident.”

A baby pumpkin growing above the the chicken coop fence.
Photo by Tracey R. Simmons 2016

This past June, of all the seeds I tossed out, one pumpkin plant started growing on the south facing fence, near my Honeysuckle plant. A second plant started growing on the west facing coop fence about a month later.  The first plant was growing nicely up the fence and over the top, and even had some baby pumpkins growing. 

About this time, I decided to integrate the young pullets with the older hens. I knew the pullets would be laying soon and wanted them to use the bigger hen house with nests to lay their eggs.

I had protected the Honeysuckle plant from the Wyandottes by placing cardboard inbetween them and the fence, with the plant on the outside. With the pumpkin plants, I didn't have to protect them, because the Wyandotte hens left them alone.

If you have read previous post, you know that back in March, Black Australorps and Rhode Island Reds chicks became the newest residents. The Rhode Island Reds are considered good foragers. I found out, by another accident, just how good they are at foraging. 

After playing referee for a few days to keep fights between the older and young chickens to a bare minimum, everyone started getting along fairly well. Then, the youngsters found as few pumpkin plants leaves growing inside the fenced area. The older hens had left them alone, but with the youngsters, their foraging skills went to work quickly. 

To say they were like little lawn lmowers or weedeaters is an understatement. Those young pullets grabbed, chewed, and munched on the pumpkin leaves and moved to the vines. They stuck their heads through the chainlink fence and chowed down on the main vines. 

By the time I realized what was happening, the girls had nearly severed both main vines. The plants' vines and leaves out of the chickens reach no longer had a viable source of nutrients and water. The only thing I could do was watch as the leaves, which had been providing shade, slowly wilted away. 

Out of accidents, either good or bad can come from it. It can also be an opportunity to learn. You can learn from the animals, as the Bible says in Job. I have learned from my chickens. Next spring, I will start pumpkin plants, again, outside the coop fence. I will allow it to grow up and over to provide shade & food, but I will protect the plants from my little munching chickens!