The Golden Comet is one of the most recognizable breeds of barnyard chicken. This bird’s popularity stems from its egg-laying abilities and its gentle, docile nature, both of which give it its popular caramel color.
A lot of people are interested in getting this kind of chicken because it’s easy to tell the sex of a chicken right after it hatches.
Whether you are raising chickens for business egg production or wish to diversify your flock with a special egg-producing chicken breed, the Golden Comet might be the best option for you.
A beautiful, golden-colored chicken that is a hybrid between the New Hampshire rooster and White Rock hen, this chicken makes sure to use whatever you need in your backyard flock.
Interested? You need to be!
This chicken was created for commercial farming but has ended up being a component in yards and little chicken cages worldwide.
Today, it’s one of the most prevalent hens.
If you’re prepared for more information about the Golden Comet chicken breed, keep reading– and ensure you put an order at your local hatchery ASAP for one of these adorable, valuable birds.
History of the Golden Comet Chicken Breed
The Golden Comet isn’t even close to being a real chicken. It’s actually a hybrid or sex-linked chicken, meaning its unusual appearance and temperament are the result of genetic mixing between two different chicken species.
In this case, Golden Comets are the offspring of a White Rock female and a New Hampshire male.
The Golden Comet, like other sex-linked chickens, can be determined to be a male or female shortly after hatching, hence the name.
You can tell just by looking at the chicks what color they are. Female Golden Comet chicks are striped and a light brown color. The male Golden Comet chicks are the palest of the yellows.
In addition to making it easier for keepers to buy chicks, this also benefits hatcheries in their efforts to sell the young chicks.
People who buy Golden Comet chicks never have to worry about there being any roosters in their flock if that is something they prefer to avoid. This is especially helpful for city dwellers who keep chickens in their backyards.
However, they are unable to breed more Golden Comets because they are sex-linked hybrids and not a true chicken breed.
Incubating the eggs of two Golden Comet hens will result in a motley collection of colored chicks that are not genetically pure to the original breed.
Golden Comet chickens were bred to lay a lot of eggs, so they look pretty, but that wasn’t their original purpose.
The reputation of this chicken hybrid for producing high-quality eggs has endured for quite some time, and modern Golden Comet keepers confirm this.
Cinnamon Queen, Golden Buff, Gold Sex-Link, and Red Star are a few of the alternate names for Golden Comets chickens.
These other names are sometimes used to refer to different chicken hybrids, but Golden Comet is the most common name and there is no need to be confused.
Make sure the Golden Comet chicks you buy were hatched from a White Rock x New Hampshire chicken cross before you buy them.
Golden Comet chickens are referred to as sex-linked chickens.
Sex-link birds are frequently considered to be not real breeds. They are crossbreeds or hybrids.
The science is simple. If you cross a pure-blooded chicken with its kind, the resulting chicks will look basically like their parents.
You generally can not sex most chicken breeds at birth (unless, naturally, you have the abilities, tools, and background to do so– an undertaking that many people do not carry out).
Golden Comets and other sex-link birds, nevertheless, can be sexed right away after hatching.
This is exceptionally beneficial for hatcheries since hens can be kept for laying.
If you live someplace in which roosters are not permitted, a sex link chicken breed is the best option– you will not need to bother about breaking any zoning laws with all that crowing.
As we discussed, Golden Comets are hybrids.
This suggests that they are bred between a New Hampshire rooster and a White Rock hen.
This pairing is particularly specific.
While other kinds of red sex link chickens are readily available, the Golden Comet is the only one that arises from this cross.
Other typical kinds of red sex link birds consist of:
Red Star
Golden Buff
Gold Sex Link
Cinnamon Queen
These names are often utilized interchangeably, too.
Other red sex-link birds can be produced from breeds like Silver Laced Wyandotte, Delawares, and Rhode Island Whites.
You may think about other red sex links like Red Shavers or Isa Browns.
In addition to red sex-link chickens, there are other typical varieties of sex link birds, too.
These hybrids are noted for being good egg layers, with many producing more than 300 eggs annually depending upon the quality of feed and care.
Egg color can differ, with brown being the most typical; however, blue-green eggs are possible, too.
Besides red sex-link birds, black sex links are likewise typical.
These are produced as crosses between unique hybrid strains of Rhode Island Red roosters or any non-white or non-barred rooster in addition to Barred Rock hens.
Look and Appearance of the Golden Comet Chicken
The Golden Comet chicken does not conform to a specific standard of appearance because it is not recognized as a true breed.
Nonetheless, Golden Comet enthusiasts continue to select specific characteristics, such as unique coloring, that distinguish these birds from the average chicken.
All Golden Comets are the color for which they were named; their bodies range from light to medium brown, and their feathers have a faint red tinge. In addition, it’s possible that some Golden Comet chickens will have white feathers.
Chickens of this breed have bright red combs and wattles, and both males have just one comb. The chicken’s beak and legs should both be yellow, and the beak can be a lighter color brown.
These chickens have a round look, with heads and tails held high and alert.
There is no fundamental set for this bird, which is a hybrid chicken, and for that reason, they are exempted to any standards by the American Poultry Association.
Nevertheless, the Golden Comet is typically a light to medium brownish-red color. In some cases, it might look more golden in look, specifically when the sun strikes its plumes just right.
Likewise, these chickens can have some brilliant white in their plumes, making them look paler than they are.
These chickens are small, with hens typically just reaching 4 pounds and males maturing to 6.
Each bird will have a single upright comb that is crimson in along with a brownish-yellow beak and yellow eyes.
The legs will also be yellow, and each chicken will have 4 toes per foot.
The chicken has a body that is formed like an inverted triangle. The tail is held high and almost perpendicular to the body.
The character of the Golden Comet chicken
It is widely held that Golden Comet chickens are the calmest and most social breed of chickens. Some keepers find that their hens even follow them around when they go for walks because the birds are comfortable with human interaction.
The majority of the time, these birds are unfazed by loud noises or sudden movements.
Considering these factors, the Golden Comet is an excellent choice for a backyard chicken or a chicken for a family with young children. They’re also a great choice for younger chicken fans.
In addition, they are a good option for those who have never kept chickens before because they are friendly and easy to care for.
Unfortunately, Golden Comets don’t always get along with other chicken breeds due to their outgoing nature. Chickens of the Golden Comet variety are known for their docility and lack of aggression toward other birds.
As a result, some keepers find that their Golden Comets are being harassed by tougher or more aggressive chickens.
Golden Comets will avoid any altercations, but if forced into one, they may become injured. The Golden Comets should be housed with other chickens of the same or similar temperament, which are not aggressive toward other birds.
The Golden Comet is among the friendliest chicken breeds you can raise.
It is laid back and curious, and while it will sometimes check out places where it should not be hanging out, it otherwise is rather docile and will remain where you have it penned.
Golden Comets are very energetic and fast to grow.
They will actively seek their forage, and while they aren’t noted for being flighty, they will sometimes hop over the fence you’ve built.
Since they are fairly lightweight, this is manageable for them to do– you might need to utilize a covered run or clip their wings to keep them contained.
This chicken does not mind being handled, and some individuals assert that their Golden Comets choose the company of individuals over other chickens.
They are fantastic chicken for owners with kids, as they will not go after or end up being aggressive in any way.
Golden Comets are not known to fight.
They are frequently considered the “peacemakers” of the flock, moving far from combating chickens and avoiding pecking order-related conflicts.
These mild chickens do not like battling and will keep themselves out of the problem.
While Golden Comets are typically raised as egg manufacturers, they are frequently kept as household pets, too.
They succeed when blended with likewise non-aggressive types (especially those that are rather calm).
While they will not combat, even with other, more unstable chicken types, keeping them with tranquil chickens can assist lessen tension and optimizing their laying.
Some breeds to consider about keeping with your Golden Comets consist of:
Other sex-link chickens
Cochins
Faverolles
Plymouth Rocks
Orpingtons
Barred Rocks
New Hampshire Reds
Rhode Island Reds
Is the Golden Comet Chicken a Good Layer?
If you’re questioning whether the Golden Comet chicken is a great layer, you’ve come to the right place.
Golden Comet chickens were developed to be egg-laying hens, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a much better egg maker than this one.
It will produce as many as six medium to big brown eggs weekly– or 330 each year.
It’s no secret that Golden Comet hens are exceptional egg layers. A year’s worth of eggs from these hens will come to about 330 if they lay an average of six per week. Laying hens begin producing eggs at around four months of age.
The hen has just reached full maturity at this point. The comb, which is pink when the chick hatches but turns red as it grows, is another indicator of maturity. After this time, hens will lay eggs regularly.
Golden Comets have a relatively constant egg-laying period of about two years. Once this happens, their egg production will drop significantly, but they will still keep laying eggs for another year or so.
Eggs laid by the Golden Comet are dark color brown. Despite their diminutive stature, laying hens are known for laying eggs that are large to extra-large.
In general, Golden Comet hens aren’t very broody, meaning they aren’t particularly invested in caring for their eggs. This is helpful for keepers who don’t want to bother with keeping a rooster but still want to collect eggs for their families.
It is necessary for a keeper to use either a broody hen or an incubator in order to hatch Golden Comet eggs. Keep in mind that a Golden Comet’s eggs will not produce purebred Golden Comets, but rather hybrids of various other bird species.
The other element of this chicken’s amazing character is that it begins laying much earlier than other breeds.
Here are some typical laying ages amongst the most popular egg producing chicken breeds:
Rhode Island Red: 18-20 weeks
Sussex: 20 weeks
White Leghorn: 16-17 weeks
Plymouth Rock: 18-20 weeks
Ancona: 20 weeks
Barnevelder: 18-20 weeks
Hamburg: 20 weeks
Maran: 30 weeks
Buff Orpington: 24 weeks
In contrast, the Golden Comet begins laying at 16 weeks– simply four months of age.
As pullets, these eggs will be small. However, they will increase and reach full size in just several weeks.
You might notice that your Golden Comets appear amazed by the look of eggs.
They may lay in odd areas initially, not knowing what they are doing at such a young age.
If you have this issue, you might wish to motivate your Golden Comets to lay in the nest boxes you’ve developed by doing the following:
- Putting “decoy” eggs like incorrect eggs or golf balls in the nest boxes
- Offering a lot of fresh, tidy bed linen to make the nest boxes comfy
- Hanging drapes over the nest boxes for included personal privacy
- Ensuring all nest boxes are devoid of termites, predators, or other disruptions
- Getting rid of laid eggs from your nest boxes more regularly to prevent confusion, egg-eating, and egg damage
You’ll know your Golden Comet chicken is ready to begin laying eggs when it shows the following attributes:
- Pink waddle and comb end up being bright red
- Food and water usage boost
- Hens start to “squat” when you approach
- Hens begin to check out separated, darkened areas of the cage (like your nest boxes).
Also, this chicken is efficient for rather a long time when you think about how early and how prolifically it starts to lay.
Golden Comets can remain efficient for about two years, after which time egg production will gradually decrease.
These chickens are not known for going broody.
This is a significant advantage when you are raising chickens for egg production because broodiness can deter your efficiency for numerous weeks.
Is the Golden Comet Chicken Good for Meat Production?
Golden Comet chickens could be taken in for meat if you are required to choose some non-productive layers in their advancing age.
Nevertheless, they will not be the very best meat bird around. These chickens are rather small, hardly ever reaching 5 or 6 pounds, so you will not get a great deal of meat from the carcass.
Also, by the time these chickens might be thought about for the table, they will be some years of age.
This is long past the suggested age for butchering chickens, so we do not suggest raising or utilizing Golden Comets for meat production in any way.
You’ll offset the loss of meat production with all of the eggs you get, though!
Does the Golden Comet Chicken Have Any Breed-Related Health Problems?
The health of a flock of Golden Comet chickens is rarely a concern. They don’t have a prone susceptibility to any diseases.
The single comb that Golden Comets have makes them prone to frostbite during the harshest winter months. Keepers of Golden Comets can prevent frostbite by keeping their chickens in warm areas and by providing nesting boxes.
A Golden Comet’s short life span is the only true health concern. The large number of eggs that Golden Comet hens lay over a long period of time puts a significant strain on the hen’s body, which is why they are so expensive.
A golden comet’s lifespan is typically between four and five years.
Feeding Golden Comets a diet rich in vitamins and calcium will help them live long, productive lives and lay eggs regularly.
If you want to supplement the chickens’ diet with more vegetables and oyster shells, you can do that to increase the vitamin and mineral content. Water is another essential item that must be offered regularly to Golden Comets.
Since the Golden Comet is a hybrid chicken, it has been bred to prevent a bulk of breed-related health conditions.
You will need to watch out for certain issues like lice, mites, and worms like all chickens.
These can quickly be prevented by keeping a tidy, sanitary cage and treating natural pesticides from time to time.
Dust baths are useful, too!
Sadly, these chickens were bred to be extremely efficient. Just like all chickens created for this function, they normally have a brief life span.
These chickens will not live to be 6, 7, or 8 years of age as they may with other less aggressive layers– rather, your Golden Comet chicken will likely reach 4 or 5 years of age.
These problems consist of egg yolk peritonitis, reproductive growth, and other comparable reproductive issues.
Monitoring your flock is your finest contended avoiding these concerns– typically, if you can capture an egg-related concern early on, you will have the ability to treat it efficiently.
Likewise, you should include calcium in your hens’ diet plan to guarantee they are laying healthy, satisfactory eggs.
Suitable Environment for a Golden Comet Chicken.
Golden Comet chickens are tolerant of a wide array of ecological chickens.
Because they aren’t extremely big, they succeed in the heat as long as they have lots of shade and water.
They can also endure the cold rather well, as they have a good layer of downy plumes.
Nevertheless, just like all chickens of single combs, you will require to watch out for frostbite on the combs.
Golden Comets aren’t big, so they will not use up many areas in your cage. Also, considering that they aren’t susceptible to eliminating, they succeed in confinement.
Even in the cold weather, you will not need to stress over your chickens feeling “caged”– they will endure confinement with grace and ease.
Nevertheless, you may wish to include light in your cage throughout the cold, brief days to promote continued laying.
It’s likewise a great concept to bed your cage greatly in straw, as your Golden Comets may pick to oversleep the straw instead of roosting to secure their legs and feet.
These chickens are also excellent prospects for small backyards. Considering that they use up a small area, they will not need a big cage.
They also make less noise, especially since Golden Comet chickens are usually raised as hens (no roosters enabled).
If you live someplace that has limitations on roosters, the Golden Comet chicken is the best breed.
How to Raise a Golden Comet Chicken?
Many people presume that Golden Comet chickens will lay well with no extra deal with the part of the chicken-keeper.
While these birds have the genes required to produce many eggs, you need to do your part too.
Feeding Golden Comet Chickens
It would be best to make certain your birds have lots of clean, fresh water and excellent nutrition.
Feeding a pellet that is particularly for layers– which will consist of added calcium– is suggested; however, you might still need to supplement with extra calcium in the form of oysters hell, too.
It would be best if you likewise did not hesitate to include other foods in your Golden Comet’s diet plan, too.
Egg production can, in some cases, decreases all of a sudden in these birds, which numerous chicken keepers see as a downside.
Establishing a Coop for Golden Comet Chicken
When establishing your cage for Golden Comets, you must set the roost at about 2 to 4 feet off the ground.
Since these chickens aren’t especially high, this will provide a lot of space to get up and onto the roost.
Make certain you have great deals of nest boxes– a minimum of one for every single 3 to 4 birds (one per bird would be even much better. However, the majority of people do not have this much area).
Keep in mind your Golden Comets will be laying practically every day– although these chickens aren’t known to fight, you’ll wish to provide a lot of space in the nest boxes.
These nest boxes should be filled with a lot of bedding and should be easily accessible to clean.
This will assist you in preventing egg damage or your hens choosing to lay eggs in an alternative location.
Advantages of Raising a Golden Comet Chicken.
Where do we begin?
There are many advantages of raising a Golden Comet chicken, the majority of which we’ve already pointed out.
These chickens are prolific egg layers, so if you desire a breed that will lay you lots of eggs on a routine basis– and begin laying early– then this chicken is for you.
It’s also a non-aggressive chicken breed, hitting it off with other members of the flock along with your non-chicken homeowners.
Golden Comets are versatile to practically any environment.
Even if you reside in a cold location, where your Golden Comet might be susceptible to frostbite in its comb, you can raise these birds.
Ensure you inspect each bird every day when there is severe cold to make certain there is no frostbite on the comb.
You can likewise minimize the humidity level in your cage to decrease condensation accumulation in the comb.
Here are a few reasons why you must raise a Golden Comet chicken:
- Calm personality.
- It can be introduced to an existing flock of other chicken breeds (no chain of command issues).
- Very little illness.
- The small size helps them endure confinement well.
- Stunning look.
- Thrives with other family pets and individuals.
Disadvantages of Raising a Golden Comet Chicken.
The significant drawback of raising Golden Comet chickens is that it can be difficult to produce succeeding lines of this breed.
Given that these chickens seldom go broody, you aren’t most likely to see any chicks hatching from eggs.
If you wish to nurture eggs in your incubator, you can– and you’ll experience a good hatch rate.
The resulting offspring will be crossbred with thinned hereditary attributes from those of the parents.
To preserve your flock, you will require to breed White Rocks with New Hampshire’s– indicating you will require to preserve a different breeding flock just for this purpose.
This drop can usually be connected to bad nutrition or a change in the seasons.
Please make certain your chickens have lots of sunshine or artificial lighting, and feed them a lot of fat, protein, and carbs.
Think about supplementing with fresh veggies, too, for extra minerals and vitamins.
Natural Curiosity of the Golden Comet Chicken
Lastly, Golden Comet chickens are naturally curious.
This can be viewed as an advantage or a downside. These birds will take pleasure in chances to free-range by themselves, typically discovering the majority of their food.
They can do the fast work of tilling your garden for you, too!
Nevertheless, on the other hand, the curious, courageous temperament of this chicken suggests that it might often get itself into difficulty.
You will need to monitor this bird while free-ranging or enable it to do so inside a confined run or chicken tractor.
These birds aren’t known for being flighty. However, they are lightweight, so it will not be hard for them to get enough momentum to get off the ground, into the air, and over a fence.
As they are out, these birds might check out locations they should not, wrecking flower beds or examining the next-door neighbor’s backyard.
While they will not generally do excessive damage, you must keep this in mind, as predators will frequently benefit from a roaming chicken out by itself.
Should You Raise the Golden Comet Chicken?
When you consider raising a backyard chicken flock, what enters your mind?
Whether it’s a beautiful basket of eggs every early morning or a happy-go-lucky hen that adds to you each time you get in the chicken run, then the Golden Comet chicken might be for you.
This bird lays early and frequently, making it the star of the egg manufacturer world.
It will offer you many big, scrumptious eggs– and will have a lovely character to accompany that production.
This chicken is excellent with kids, making it the best prospect for a 4H task or perhaps somebody looking for a more docile chicken breed.
For its output, the Golden Comet chicken uses up extremely little area. It’s the perfect prospect for a little backyard or a big-scale business egg farm.
If you’re in the marketplace for the ideal chicken breed, you’ve discovered it– the Golden Comet chicken is among the very best egg-laying chicken breeds you can raise.
On the whole, Golden Comets are a great addition to any flock. They are considered to be gentle by their owners because they are friendly, calm, and easily petted.
They lay a lot of eggs, too, so the owners of Golden Comets can always have a hearty breakfast ready for themselves.
As long as they have plenty of room to roam and a healthy diet, these chickens are low maintenance and will bring hours of entertainment to their human caretakers.
References:
- Sex-Links – FeatherSite Barry Koffler
- The Making of Sex-Links – FeatherSite Barry Koffler
- Sex-linked Information
- Carol Ekarius (2007). Storey’s Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams, Massachusetts: Storey Publishing. ISBN 9781580176675.
- Heinrichs, Christine (2007). How To Raise Chickens. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7938-0601-0.
- Percy, Pam (2006). The Field Guide to Chickens. Suite 200, 380 Jackson St, St Paul MN 55101: Voyageur Press. ISBN 0-7603-2473-5.
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