Golden Sussex Baby Chicks Golden Sex Link Chicks
The Golden Comet chicken is one of the more recent hybrid chickens that has been bred for great egg production.
It was initially 'made' for the commercial industry, but it has successfully transitioned into small farms and backyards worldwide and is possibly the most widely kept hybrid hen.
This article will delve into its history and personality and learn more about this cheerful and productive little hen.
After reading this article, you will know if it's the right hen for your flock.
Our Choice for All-In-One Automatic Chicken Coop Door
Happy Coop Door - Weatherproof Automatic Chicken Coop Door Open/Close with Timer/Light Sensor, Predator Resistant Self-Locking Gears, Protection Sensor
- Plug and Play Design - Takes 10 minutes to install the door
- FOR OPTIMUM BATTERY LIFETIME WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND LR6 AA BATTERIES, THE BRANDS THAT HAVE LR6 ARE ENERGIZER AND DURACELL - Up to 6 Months of Power with AA batteries - You don't need an outlet for the door to work, it functions on 4 AA batteries or a 6V battery (adapter included)
- Protection Sensor - Built-in sensor when closing to detect when there is an obstruction under the door to prevent injury to chickens
- Protects Chickens From Predators - Due to it's design, the notches the gear uses to open and close the door act as a self locking mechanism that prevents predators from breaking into the chicken coop. With this your chickens are protected and you can enjoy fresh eggs in the morning
- Door Will Open if Hell Freezes Over, Rain or Shine - Our weatherproof design has been tested to work during rainy weather as well as extreme cold temperatures as cold as 5°F
Our Choice For Best Chicken Treats
HAPPY GRUBS - ULTIMATE MIXTURE OF WHOLE, HALF, AND POWDER OF BSFL FEED - CHICKEN FEED MIXTURE - 50X-80X More Calcium Than Meal Worms - NON-GMO, Molting Treatment, Great For Wild Birds, Reptiles, Ducks
- Egg Armor For Your Girls Eggs - Mixture of whole, half, bits AND POWDER of black soldier fly larvae that you can mix in your chicken's feed. It increases the strength of your girls' eggshells.
- Healthier Feathers - This product is better than bulk dried mealworms and helps keep your girls' feathers healthy and grow back quicker during molting season.
- Laying More Eggs - Because of the nutrient dense profile of dried black soldier fly larva, your hen's egg production will increase!
- Totally Safe for Reptiles and Other Birds - Happy Grubs is worm food that can also be enjoyed as bird food, reptile food, and turtles as a treat!
- Easy-To-Use Scooper - Our bag comes with a scooper that makes our bsfl mixture and powder easy to pour into a bowl or add to your typical chicken feed. It also has a clip so you can clip it onto the resealable bag. You can use it for feeding your other pets too!
History of Golden Comets
The Golden Comet is a sex-linked chicken. A sex link is not a 'breed' in the true sense of the word. It is a cross-breed or 'hybrid' chicken. This is an important distinction, as you will see.
If you mate a pure breed chicken with its' own kind, the chicks will look the same as their parents.
A sex link chicken is a sex-able bird at hatching; that means it's easy to tell the males from the females.
This is a useful trait for us hatcheries, as it means that the hens can be retained for laying, and the males are unfortunately disposed of.
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.
The golden comet chicken results from a mating between a New Hampshire rooster and a White Rock hen.
There are several red sex link hybrids:
- Gold Sex Link
- Golden Buff
- Red Star
- Cinnamon Queen
Sometimes all or some of these names are used interchangeably, confuses people, and individual hatcheries may have a different name for their 'line' of sex link birds.
Appearance
The Golden Comet is generally a light/medium reddish-brown, possibly flecked with some white feathers. It's actually quite a small bird for a standard chicken, with females weighing around 4lb and males weighing in at 6lb.
They have a single upright comb – comb and wattles being red in color.
The beak is a yellow/brown color, and the eyes are yellow. Legs are also yellow, and the bird has four toes on each foot.
The golden comet chicken hen body is an inverted triangular shape with a 'U' shape between the head and tail which is held quite high, almost perpendicular.
Breed Standard
As a hybrid, there is no standard set for this bird.
Egg Laying and Broodiness
Golden Comet chickens excellent layers of medium to large brown eggs.
They can lay from 5-6 eggs per week which puts them on a par with the Rhode Island Red hen.
They can put out a whopping 330 eggs per year – that's almost an egg every day!
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.
After that, egg production will drop off noticeably.
They will seldom go broody – it has been bred out of them, so if you want to hatch some chicks, you will have to fire up the incubator.
This is where the 'hybrid' part becomes important.
You will not get a Golden Comet chicken from Golden Comet hens, and the offspring will crossbreed.
Remember, the original pairing was a New Hampshire rooster over a White Rock hen. If you want to 'create' a Golden Comet, this is the pairing you need.
In effect, to maintain your flock of you need a flock of White Rocks and a couple of New Hampshire roosters.
| Golden Comet Chicken | |
| Egg Production | about 330 per year |
| Egg-Laying Age | Can start laying eggs at about 16 weeks |
| Broodiness | No |
| Beginner Friendly | Yes |
| Lifespan | 4-5 years |
| Size | Hen: 4lb; Rooster 6lb |
| Good for Children | Yes |
Disposition
The Golden Comet chicken is described as a personable and curious hen, is very mellow, and doesn't mind being picked up by folks.
In fact, some folks say the Golden Comet chicken breed actually seeks out people over its' own flock mates.
They are resilient, tolerating a wide variety of temperatures. As with most single comb chickens, keep an eye open for frostbitten combs if it is freezing where you live.
They easily become family pets as they are so friendly and gentle. In a flock situation, they are peaceful members.
They dislike any squabbling or pecking generally and will move away from the troublemaker if they can.
They are better to keep with breeds that are calm and non-aggressive as this will avoid them being picked on. Suitable breeds to mix with would be Cochins, Plymouth Rocks, Faverolles, or Orpingtons.
Health Issues and Welfare
A Golden Comet chicken should not have any real problems in her first 3 years other than the usual possibilities of worms, lice, mites, etc.
As they were bred to maintain a high production rate, their lifespan is usually shorter (generally less than four to five years).
As with all high production hens, they most often succumb to reproductive tumors, egg yolk peritonitis, or other reproductive issues.
Is the Golden Comet Chicken Right For You?
If you want hens that will produce an abundance of eggs for your family, look no further than the Golden Comet.
She has a prolific output and lays very early. The downside to that is after 3 years, you will need to replace the flock with new girls if you want to maintain egg production.
The Golden Comet chicken is great for kids; they are gentle, enjoy people, and aren't easily 'rattled' in most situations. They seem to take everything in their stride.
Golden Comets are also great for a 4H project or a chicken beginner as they are a pretty low-maintenance bird that can be almost self-sufficient.
They tolerate confinement well, but if allowed to free-range, they are good little foragers.
| Why This Chicken Is Right for You |
|
Summary
Hybrid hens such as the Golden Comet are great birds for a small backyard as they take up relatively little space, they aren't particularly noisy, and they are egg-laying dynamos!
As you may imagine, two or three years of fairly constant egg-laying take a toll on their bodies which is why they don't usually live to 'old age.
In a commercial setting, breeders would replace these hens after two years maximum.
Golden Comet chicken hens are the ones that people receive when they rescue hens.
They do go on to 'pop out' those eggs for another year or so usually, but not as prolifically as before. Folks that have rescued them say they are delightful and enjoyable birds to have around your yard.
Our Choice for All-In-One Automatic Chicken Coop Door
Happy Coop Door - Weatherproof Automatic Chicken Coop Door Open/Close with Timer/Light Sensor, Predator Resistant Self-Locking Gears, Protection Sensor
- Plug and Play Design - Takes 10 minutes to install the door
- FOR OPTIMUM BATTERY LIFETIME WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND LR6 AA BATTERIES, THE BRANDS THAT HAVE LR6 ARE ENERGIZER AND DURACELL - Up to 6 Months of Power with AA batteries - You don't need an outlet for the door to work, it functions on 4 AA batteries or a 6V battery (adapter included)
- Protection Sensor - Built-in sensor when closing to detect when there is an obstruction under the door to prevent injury to chickens
- Protects Chickens From Predators - Due to it's design, the notches the gear uses to open and close the door act as a self locking mechanism that prevents predators from breaking into the chicken coop. With this your chickens are protected and you can enjoy fresh eggs in the morning
- Door Will Open if Hell Freezes Over, Rain or Shine - Our weatherproof design has been tested to work during rainy weather as well as extreme cold temperatures as cold as 5°F
Our Choice For Best Chicken Treats
HAPPY GRUBS - ULTIMATE MIXTURE OF WHOLE, HALF, AND POWDER OF BSFL FEED - CHICKEN FEED MIXTURE - 50X-80X More Calcium Than Meal Worms - NON-GMO, Molting Treatment, Great For Wild Birds, Reptiles, Ducks
- Egg Armor For Your Girls Eggs - Mixture of whole, half, bits AND POWDER of black soldier fly larvae that you can mix in your chicken's feed. It increases the strength of your girls' eggshells.
- Healthier Feathers - This product is better than bulk dried mealworms and helps keep your girls' feathers healthy and grow back quicker during molting season.
- Laying More Eggs - Because of the nutrient dense profile of dried black soldier fly larva, your hen's egg production will increase!
- Totally Safe for Reptiles and Other Birds - Happy Grubs is worm food that can also be enjoyed as bird food, reptile food, and turtles as a treat!
- Easy-To-Use Scooper - Our bag comes with a scooper that makes our bsfl mixture and powder easy to pour into a bowl or add to your typical chicken feed. It also has a clip so you can clip it onto the resealable bag. You can use it for feeding your other pets too!
Do you have any in your flock? Please share your story with us in the comments section below…
READ NEXT: Buff Orpington All You Need To Know: Temperament and Egg Laying
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Golden Sussex Baby Chicks Golden Sex Link Chicks
Source: https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/golden-comet/
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