Sapphire Gem
Also known as: Sapphire Gem Hybrid
A modern blue-grey hybrid bred for the backyard: exceptionally docile, quiet, and productive, laying a generous 260-290 large brown eggs a year and starting young. Sapphire Gems are friendly and beginner-friendly, but as a trademarked hybrid they will not breed true, cannot be shown, and tend to have a shorter productive life than heritage breeds.
Figures verified against 3 sources. Ranges reflect variation by strain and individual bird.
At a glance
- Eggs / year
- 260–290
- Egg size
- large
- Purpose
- eggs
- Class
- Large fowl
- Hen weight
- 5–6 lb
- Rooster weight
- 7–8 lb
- Starts laying
- 16–20 weeks
- Lifespan
- 5–8 years
- Comb
- single
- Noise
- quiet
- Origin
- Czech Republic
- Conservation
- Not listed
Egg color: Brown
Temperament & suitability
Appearance
A blue-grey sex-linked hybrid layer, often with lavender/blue plumage. Bred for high production and a calm nature.
Varieties
The Sapphire Gem is a proprietary hybrid, not a standardized breed, so it has no recognized varieties. Its blue-gray color comes from a single copy of the dominant Blue gene, so shade varies bird to bird and the color does not breed true.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Prolific brown-egg layer (~280-300/yr)
- Calm, friendly, and beginner-friendly
- Early to lay and rarely broody
Cons
- Hybrid, so won't breed true
- Not a recognized breed / not showable
- Shorter productive life than heritage breeds
Common questions
Is the Sapphire Gem a real breed?
No, it's a sex-linked hybrid (a cross), so it won't reproduce true to type, but it's an excellent, gentle layer.
How many eggs do Sapphire Gems lay?
Around 260-290 large brown eggs per year.
When will your Sapphire Gem start laying?
Just got chicks? Enter their hatch date and we’ll estimate the first-egg window for a Sapphire Gem, based on its point of lay of 16–20 weeks. Hens rarely read the calendar, so treat it as a range.
Sources
Verified 2026-07-06. A trademarked sex-linked hybrid (Blue Plymouth Rock x Barred Plymouth Rock) from Hoover's Hatchery, not a standardized breed. Hoover's and independent guides give ~260-290 large brown eggs/yr, hen ~6 lb / rooster ~7 lb, early point of lay.