The Golden Comet hen breed is among the hottest breeds in yard flocks. They’re simple to look after, produce large amounts of eggs, and might usually be discovered on-line at hatcheries.
On my farm, we’ve raised Golden Comets completely as our egg layers for the final 5 years. No doubt, they’re the best, environment friendly, and easy-to-care-for birds we’ve discovered.
They lay eggs nearly day by day and are wholesome, blissful birds which are extremely simple to look after.
So should you’re on the lookout for an incredible chook so as to add to your flock, then look no additional than the Golden Comet!
Right here’s an outline of every thing you could learn about this superb breed.
What’s the Golden Comet Hen Breed?
After we first determined to lift Golden Comet chickens, we didn’t know lots about them. In reality, we had been a bit confused by the truth that this was a breed that appeared to have a number of totally different names.
The Golden Comet hen is a hybrid breed of hen that has been round because the Nineties. It was created by crossing New Hampshire roosters with White Rock hens.
Whereas they’re primarily identified for his or her egg-laying prowess, in addition they make nice pets resulting from their pleasant and docile disposition.
The principle purpose why folks maintain these birds is due to their amazing egg-laying ability! On common, every hen will lay round 250 to 320 eggs per 12 months, making them among the best egg layers on the market.
You might even see the Golden Comet hen offered by different names, reminiscent of Pink Star, Gold Intercourse-Hyperlink, Cinnamon Queene, and Golden Buff. Regardless of the complicated names, it’s all the identical breed.
Historical past of the Golden Comet Breed
The trendy Golden Comet hen is definitely a hybrid of New Hampshire Reds and White Rocks.
They appear lots like New Hampshire or Rhode Island Reds and generally is a bit tough to inform aside from them.
Essentially the most notable distinction we’ve been capable of detect is that they’ve a lighter blond feathering than the darker reddish brown of these different two breeds.
The Golden Comet hen was created by crossing New Hampshire roosters with White Rock hens.
The aim was to create a hybrid chook that would lay as much as 300 eggs per 12 months, which might be significantly greater than different breeds of chickens on the time.
In 1975, the primary Golden Comet chickens had been hatched in Hegins, Pennsylvania—and thus, this distinctive breed was formally born!
Official Breed Normal
Because of its complicated origins and make-up of many various breeds, it doesn’t have a unified official breed commonplace.
This isn’t a chook that’s sometimes raised for exhibition and is as a substitute raised nearly singularly for egg manufacturing.
Regardless of being a hybrid, the Golden Comet reveals sure traits that stay constant throughout each chook—they’re all extremely hardy, energetic birds that like to eat and excel at caring for themselves in a yard surroundings.
What Colours Do Golden Comet Chickens Come In?
In contrast to another breeds, they don’t are available in many various colours; they’ve just one shade sample – reddish-brown feathers with white recommendations on their wings.
Hens are distinguished by their upright U-shaped physique, red-brown feathers and white interspersed between them, yellow eyes, beak, and legs.
The males of this selection look fairly totally different with their all-white or primarily white our bodies that includes pink shoulder feathers – one thing that provides much more character to their breed.
Most individuals don’t understand how totally different the roosters look, although, because the majority of farms that elevate Golden Comets will solely maintain hens.
Since this can be a hybrid egg-laying breed that doesn’t breed true (that means should you hatch eggs from a Golden Comet hen, the chicks gained’t essentially appear like their mom), there’s no purpose to maintain a rooster round.
The combs and wattles are pink on this breed. There’s a single upright comb.
What Two Chickens Make a Golden Comet?
Once more, these birds, which had been developed in the USA in the course of the Seventies, are a cross between two particular hens- the New Hampshire and the White Plymouth Rock.
The White Plymouth Rocks present their calm temperament, vigorousness, and dependable egg manufacturing.
When these two hens are crossed they provide us the one-of-a-kind breed generally known as the Golden Comet.
Measurement and Weight of Golden Comet Chickens
Golden Comets are identified for his or her measurement, with males weighing in at 6lbs and females sometimes hovering across the 4lb mark – considerably lower than different meat breeds such because the Jersey Large or Brahma.
Due to their smaller stature, Golden Comets attain market weight quicker that means extra environment friendly use of meals and area.
What are Golden Comet Chickens Good For?
Golden Comet Chickens are really an exquisite, multipurpose chook. Not solely are they nice layers of huge, brown eggs, however in addition they make nice pets resulting from their calm nature and docile personalities.
Are Golden Comet Chickens Pleasant?
Golden Comet Chickens are a pleasant and curious breed, keen to come back near people and present curiosity to strangers.
They’re peaceable when saved in a flock and don’t react aggressively when confronted by different chickens, making them very best for households with youngsters as they gained’t be simply “rattled”.
A assured breed, they take pleasure in human companionship immensely and profit from loads of foraging alternatives as energetic foragers themselves.
We’ve got raised Golden Comet chickens each by themselves in addition to in a flock of Rhode Island Reds.
They get alongside nicely with different birds but aren’t more likely to discover themselves being bullied by bigger animals (just like the Rhode Islands).
Egg Laying and Temperament
As you may anticipate, Golden Comets are a few of the greatest egg-laying chickens you’ll discover. Let’s take a more in-depth look.
Are Golden Comet Chickens Good Layers?
Golden Comet chickens have nice hybrid vigor, which contributes to their reputation amongst each business and small-scale hen keepers.
Golden Comets have a quicker fee of progress than non-hybrids, reaching maturity a lot earlier and providing an elevated egg yield over time.
They cease laying ahead of different breeds, however since they produce so many eggs inside such a brief interval, they’re thought-about some of the prolific breeds of all time.
When Will Golden Comet Chickens Begin Laying?
These chickens develop and mature shortly, that means it’ll solely be a number of weeks out of your buy date earlier than your hen begins producing eggs.
Typically talking, hens start laying at round 19 weeks outdated – however in some circumstances, they’ll begin as early as 16 weeks!
Once more, that type of egg-laying comes with a trade-off. Though they’ll lay a number of eggs within the first two years – round 250 to 320 – they’ll drop off considerably in productiveness after that.
Of all of the hen breeds we’ve raised, we discovered that Golden Comets begin laying usually and constantly a lot ahead of different breeds.
Not solely that, however they lay extra eggs in the course of the winter – we put a light-weight in our coop to proceed laying, since we promote our eggs domestically, and which means that our Golden Comets lay constantly 12 months of the 12 months.
What Coloration Eggs Do Golden Comet Chickens Lay?
These birds lay giant to extra-large brown eggs. Once more, they lay roughly 250–320 instances per 12 months throughout their first two years.
How Lengthy Do Golden Comet Chickens Stay?
On common, a Golden Comet Hen has a lifespan of 4 to 5 years, probably much more if given excellent care and a focus.
Though Golden Comets are sometimes saved as layers, in addition they make nice companions and might grow to be fairly affectionate with their household over time.
Suggestions for Elevating Golden Comet Chickens
Listed here are a couple of useful ideas for elevating your individual flock of Golden Comet chickens!
Feeding and Dietary Wants for Golden Comet Chickens
With regards to feeding and caring for Golden Comet chickens, the very first thing to think about is ensuring they’ve entry to a balanced, nutritious weight loss program.
This breed of hen is thought for being a wonderful alternative for yard farms resulting from its hardiness and love of foraging!
Correct vitamin helps them keep wholesome and lay loads of eggs. A great starter feed must be one which’s free from chemical substances and has the proper concentrations of protein, nutritional vitamins, and minerals.
Backyard scraps like fruits or greens can be utilized as treats, whereas different kitchen scraps like cooked grains are additionally nice supplemental choices.
As Golden Comet chickens get older and prepare to begin laying, their feed also needs to be supplemented with calcium-rich sources reminiscent of oyster shells and dried eggshells so as to scale back the danger of eggshell high quality points reminiscent of skinny shells.
Dealing With Well being Considerations/Predators
Though the Golden Comet could be very low upkeep, they’ll run into well being points reminiscent of reproductive organ tumors resulting from their heavy use of those components.
They’re additionally extra more likely to endure from points like egg yolk peritonitis and egg binding.
In addition they have giant combs that are prone to frostbite. They’re extra prone to well being issues than different breeds usually, particularly as they grow old.
That mentioned, they don’t have many different well being issues within the early days in addition to the standard ones – issues like lice, mites, and parasites. You’ll be able to keep away from most of those with good coop hygiene and a nutritious diet.
The easiest way to guard Golden Comet chickens from predators? Be sure the coop and run are totally safe.
This consists of inspecting all outside entry factors, reminiscent of cracks in woodwork, or free hinges on doorways.
Contained in the enclosure, it’s vital to make use of solely hen wire that’s extraordinarily high-quality mesh – this can cease predators from gaining entry.
It’s a good suggestion to place an overhead cowl like netting over the run, which may appeal to predators reminiscent of hawks.
These chickens aren’t giant or quick by any means – they’re birds which were bred for egg manufacturing, not flightiness or agility.
Subsequently, you, because the hen keeper, might want to take additional steps to maintain your birds secure.
Enjoyable Information In regards to the Golden Comet Hen
Golden Comet chickens, once more, are a few of the greatest egg-laying birds you’ll discover. They’re pleasant and docile – and nice round little youngsters – that means they’re a wonderful alternative for many small household farms or homesteads.
Not solely that, however should you reside in an space the place you aren’t allowed to have roosters, sex-link birds like Golden Comets are the best way to go.
You don’t have to fret about any “oopsies” because you will be kind of assured that you simply solely get hens in your flock.
Golden Comet hens very not often go broody. As hybrid intercourse hyperlink chickens, this can be a trait that has kind of been bred out of them.
That mentioned, should you determine to incubate your individual eggs, you’re most likely going to be disillusioned.
Some folks assume that eggs from sex-link breeds gained’t hatch in any respect. That’s not essentially true.
You’ll have chicks hatch from the eggs of Golden Comet chickens. Nevertheless, the ensuing birds will not be going to appear like the hen who laid it.
In different phrases, you possibly can’t hatch a Golden Comet hen from a Golden Comet hen. The genetics are too scrambled. The offspring will likely be crossbred.
Is the Golden Comet Hen Proper For You?
Elevating Golden Comet Chickens is good for individuals who are on the lookout for a low-maintenance egg-laying chook that gained’t require a lot consideration and area.
These pleasant and calm birds can simply grow to be pets as they require minimal grooming, like to be dealt with, and because you gained’t have any roosters to fret about, there gained’t be any crowing to disturb the neighbors!
However be warned; regardless of their hardy nature and beautiful appears to be like, these chickens won’t seemingly reside an extended life.
You could end up coping with the common reproductive tract points that include this breed of hen.
It’s additionally difficult to lift Golden Comets as dual-purpose birds. They’re on the small aspect, so that you gained’t get a decent-sized carcass for the dinner desk.
That mentioned, it’s a trade-off. If you would like a hen that lays probably the most eggs doable, go together with the Golden Comet.
When you’d like a extra well-rounded breed, you’d be higher off with a Rhode Island Pink, Wyandotte, Plymouth Rock, or one other sort of non-hybrid heritage breed hen.
FAQ
The Golden Comet hen is a small chook, often weighing round 4 to 5 kilos. It has gold to pink plumage and a single pink comb.
Golden Comet chickens are hearty birds that eat quite a lot of meals. They take pleasure in a pure weight loss program of seeds, bugs, and different invertebrates discovered within the wild.
Business hen feed must be their most important supply of vitamin.
Golden Comets are a hybrid breed of hen. They’re the offspring of New Hampshire and White Rocks.
The Golden Comet is a hybrid of the New Hampshire and White Rock. No one is bound which breeds produce Isa Browns, since these French birds are trademarked.
When you’re on the lookout for Golden Comet chickens, your greatest guess is to go looking on-line. They’re changing into more and more common, and several other main hatcheries can give you high quality inventory.
