Now I have a whole flock of them and they are even friendlier than Goldie was. They can lay from 5-6 eggs per week which puts them on a par with the Rhode Island Red hen. This means that they are bred between a New Hampshire rooster and a White Rock hen. They have a single upright comb - comb and wattles being red in color. They dislike any squabbling or pecking generally and will move away from the troublemaker if they can. They rarely show aggressive behaviors, and theyre usually friendly and calm. Their lifespan is short: only four to five years. Shed come to me when I called her. This creates a breed of chicken called a sex-link. As Golden Comets have proved to adapt easily to the free-range environment, they have become popular with backyard and small-farm chicken keepers and can be bought direct from hatcheries. Golden Comet Chicken Eggs Production: The Golden Comet Chicken breed starts laying eggs as early as 16 weeks. You can also reduce the humidity level in your coop to reduce condensation build-up in the comb. Shell color has no meaningful impact on nutritional value or flavor, although some people may prefer brown eggs for aesthetic reasons. The Golden Comet is one of the friendliest chicken breeds you can raise. If you live in an area where you are not allowed roosters, sex link chickens are the best bet for having all girls with no oops in the pack. In contrast, roosters are almost always white and may only have red feathers around the shoulders. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Golden Comet chickens are excellent layers. Lastly, their legs are not feathered. Im new to chicken care and find them easy to maintain. For its output, the Golden Comet chicken takes up very little space. 20 Most Productive Egg Laying Chicken Breeds, Ayam Cemani Chickens: The Ultimate Breed Guide, Polish Chickens: The Ultimate Breed Guide, Greater Scaup: Identification and Behaviors, Hooded Merganser: Identification and Behaviors, Dabbling Duck Species: Everything You Need to Know, 22 Types of Ducks: Behaviors and Appearances, Putting decoy eggs like false As with most single comb chickens, keep an eye open for frostbitten combs if it is freezing where you live. Your email address will not be published. This chicken gets along with other chickens, This chicken is friendly with people and kids picking them up, They don't really have many illnesses the first 3 years as long as you monitor lice/mites. As a hybrid, there is no standard set for this bird. Golden Comet chicken hens are the ones that people receive when they rescue hens. I always knew Red Stars were great layers, so I was very relieved that Comets were Stars. Females can be distinguished from males according to color. Do take the lifespan warnings into consideration. They do start to look a little bit similar as they get older, but at the start, they are incredibly different. Please seek advice from a certified veterinarian in a case of emergency. However you can expect your Golden Comet to be small hen that only weighs around 4lb. sure to offer you everything you need in your backyard flock. This is simply their way of saying good morning and leading the flocks out to forage. up much space in your coop. A faster rate of growth, earlier maturity, and increased egg yield was apparent in crossbred chickens due to hybrid vigor. Today, its one of the most popular types of hens. We have five chickens and she is the favorite. In fact, some folks say the Golden Comet chicken breed actually seeks out people over its own flock mates. Sex-link birds are often considered to be not actual breeds. Cinnamon Queen Vs. Golden Comets Chickens. Disclosure: Wemay earn affiliate commissions at no cost to you from the links on this page. Egg production can sometimes drop off unexpectedly in these birds, which is viewed by many chicken keepers as a disadvantage. Each chicken only lays one color egg though. The Welsummer egg really does have faint purple speckles in real life! I just don't think it is fair that somebody was careless enough to create a breed that produces soo many eggs that they sometimes die from it and believe me it is horrible to watch them suffer, try to save them, and then they die anyway. These birds will enjoy opportunities to free-range on their own, often finding most of their own food. My father has eight Golden Comets, and I love those girls! It should be noted that Golden Comets are not a breed as such they are a hybrid hen. You might consider other red sex-links like Isa Browns or Red Shavers. If you want to know more about chickens, quail, and goats, The Happy Chicken Coop is the place to be! Sadly in an industrial setting these hens would then be considered spent. Golden Comet chickens could be consumed for meat if you needed to cull some non-productive layers in their advancing age. I have received 2 small brown eggs in 2 days and expect to get more as the week passes they are great chickens I love them a lot. The older the Golden Comet chicks become, the more they develop the adult characteristics. They are energetic and curious, liking to roam and forage. She laid every day. After reading this article, you will know if its the right hen for your flock. However as their big girl feathers grow in they can have a variety of plumage variations. This can be seen as a benefit or a disadvantage. They love to sit on my lap or legs. Laying Habits: 5+ Eggs Per Week Egg Size: Large Egg Color: Brown Temperament: Varies Remember, the original pairing was a New Hampshire rooster over a White Rock hen. The Golden Comet chicken is great for kids; they are gentle, enjoy people, and arent easily rattled in most situations. Initially bred for their hardy character and egg production for battery hens. Sex Links can also be referred to as Golden Buff, Golden Comet, Cinnamon Queen, Red Star and Black Star. When mature, the Comet pullet is golden red in color, but has some white feathers showing through in her neck and back. However because they are bred to be high production breeds they tend to not live much beyond five years. Golden Comet Egg Production per Year: Approximately 250 to 300 eggs per year Start Laying At: 15 to 16 weeks old Egg Size: Large to extra large Egg Color: Usually a dark red-brown color Rhode Island Red Egg Production per Year: Approximately 200 to 300 eggs per year Start Laying At: 18 to 20 weeks old Egg Size: Medium to large Their feathers are reddish brown but can be lighter. You can read our complete guide on how to introduce new chickens to your flock if you need any help. The golden buff was one of them. old. They would not let her out of the hen house, and every chance they could they would jump on her, bite her comb, pull feathers out of her neck. Comets are active chickens, just like Leghorns. I got three of each for my backyard and it is quite difficult to tell the Comets from the Browns! Like leghorns they start laying earlier than any other breed and are prolific layers. It is recommended that they are kept with non-aggressive companions. However, selection for prolific egg production has its downside in that the body wears out quickly. You will have the occasional late bloomer start as late as 19 weeks. The male and female chickens have yellow eyes, legs, and beaks. These chickens are crosses between egg-laying and dual-purpose breeds. 13. Sex link chickens requires two parents from separate breeds. encourage your Golden Comets to lay in the nest boxes youve built by doing the It will provide you with plenty of large, delicious eggs and will have a charming personality to accompany that production. She is so sweet and friendly, always comes to our back door to visit. The usual demise is from egg issues such as cancer or egg yolk peritonitis. The Golden Comet is a hybrid, but a hybrid worth mentioning specifically. Because of this you find lots of these hens need to be re-homed by rescue organizations. But, I must be honest, as mine have slowed down (they only lay for 1 or 2 yrs. As the egg travels through the hen's reproductive tract the color is added to the shell. These chickens are prolific egg layers, so if you want a breed that will lay you tons of eggs on a regular basis and start laying early then this chicken is for you. I cant recall how old i would say about. Laying Age. Is it available in India where we can get from, You could do a search on your local hatcheries. You are using an out of date browser. Golden Comets also have red-orange eyes and a yellow (or yellow-brown) beak. They do well when mixed with similarly non-aggressive breeds (particularly those that are quite calm). GCs have been the most child-friendly and amusing chickens we have had. These birds lay large to extra-large brown eggs. I bought some. Golden Comets and other sex-link birds, however, can be sexed immediately after hatching. These birds arent known for being terrible flighty, but they are lightweight so it wont be difficult for them to get enough momentum to get off the ground, into the air, and over a fence. A cross breed of the Cherry Egger rooster and Rhode Island white hen, this bird was bred as an egg-laying hen. As an advertising ploy it worked very well. Legs of both sexes are yellow. , Best of luck to you! Shes quite a character . Their friendly and relaxed temperament makes them perfect for families with children. You should also add calcium to your hens diet to ensure they are laying healthy, passable eggs. The Golden Star chicken or Gold Star hens have red-brown feathers interspersed with some white. As their name implies, they have golden reddish feathers and have no other color variations. They do like to travel to neighbors home but we can pick them up without trouble. As active foragers, they are low maintenance and self-sufficient when free range. Sources: Cackle HatcheryFeathersitePurely PoultryPennsylvania State University. The Golden Comet is also known as Golden Buff, Gold Sex Link, Cinnamon Queen, and Red Star. The birds have yellowish-white skin and feathers that range from golden to reddish brown in color. Give them an old pile of leaves to rummage through and it will keep them happy for ages. As chicks, the females have chipmunk-like stripeing down their backs and tend to have darker down. For nesting boxes the standard 1212 inch next will be perfectly adequate for their needs. Her body profile looks like an inverted U shape with the tail held very upright. I think the super dark brown eggs one of my chicks just laid is from one of 2 Golden Comets.The first was a tiny (smaller than a dime) egg, the second a double yolk. You can expect between 250-300 brown colored eggs from your golden comet chicken annually. They are a crossbreed between a White Rock hen and a rooster of the New Hampshire breed. True to their reputation for production, these girls can start laying at 16 weeks and continue to be very productive up to around the two-year mark. It took me a year but I named them Thelma and Louise. She loves to investigate new things with you, so do not be surprised if she turns up to help you in the yard, or if you find her rooting through the compost heap having a good time. Egg Color - blue to green to olive to aqua and even pinkish. Email *. Finally, Golden Comet chickens are naturally curious. The Golden Comet is generally a light/medium reddish-brown, possibly flecked with some white feathers. Please share your story with us in the comments section below, READ NEXT: Buff Orpington All You Need To Know: Temperament and Egg Laying, excellent layers of medium to large brown eggs, Buff Orpington All You Need To Know: Temperament and Egg Laying, Chicken Molting: What Is It and How to Help Your Hens With It, The Best Chicken Harness: What to Know Before Buying, Sebright Chicken: Silver, Golden and Care Guide, https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/the-definitive-guide-to-keeping-chickens-in-winter/, https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/how-to-keep-hens-laying-eggs-through-the-winter/, Tetanus in Goats: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment for Ruminants, Girgentana Goats: Everything You Need to Know, Best Books on Raising Quails (For Beginners and Businesses), Tolerat better than bigger birds, but still have some shade for them and plenty of water, Not necessarily because of how small they are. Female chicks are bronzy buff color with stripes, and males are light yellow. Hens rarely go broody which is perfect if you are looking for a reliable egg layer. This drop can almost always be linked to poor nutrition or a change in the seasons. Finally, their legs should be clean and yellow and each foot should have four toes. I have an ISA ( marjorie). In the case of the Comet it is a New Hampshire rooster and a White Rock hen, although some sources state that it is a Rhode Island Red rooster over a White Rock hen. When setting up your coop for Golden Comets, you should set the roost at about two to four feet off the ground. These chickens wont live to be six, seven, or eight years old as they might with other less aggressive layers instead, your Golden Comet chicken will likely only reach four or five years of age. They lay an average of 300 to 350 eggs yearly, compared to Golden Comets' average of 250 to 300. Egg color can vary, with brown being the most common but blue-green eggs possible, too. However, you might want to add a light to your coop during the cold, short days to help stimulate continued laying. I dont think she read the part where she suppose to be laying fewer eggs. Females are born bronze with stripes and grow up to be a reddish-brown with some white feathers. Age of point of lay: 15 to . You will want to supervise this bird while it is free-ranging or allow it to do so inside an enclosed run or chicken tractor. I purchased four more GCs that are only a couple of weeks old right now. Sex linked means that you can tell the gender of the chick at hatch by its color. It weighs 2 to 4 lbs. I have lost a number of these to internal laying and other various egg issues. They were the most friendly and funny hens I have had. Shes so cute and small. Hens will only weigh around 4lb and the roosters about 6lb. All chicken eggs start out as white. However their small size however does not reduce their egg laying ability! They are crossbreeds, or hybrids. This genetic combination allows hatcheries to easily determine the sex of chicks at hatching. Egg Size - Medium. Because you can tell the chicks sex at hatch, Comets are a safe option for people who live in an area where roosters are banned, or for those who simply do not want a rooster. Rated 4.92 out of 5 based on 12 customer ratings. Golden Comet chickens are friendly, calm and prolific layers, making excellent backyard birds, but at the price of a short life and susceptibility to reproductive tract issues. Of all the breeds Ive ever raised, the one thing I noticed right away was how friendly they were with people. Claire. raise a Golden Comet chicken: When choosing the right chickens for your coop, its always good to consider the positives and negatives. She died shortly after her 4th birthday. The major downside of raising Golden Comet chickens is that it can be hard to produce successive lines of this breed.