![]() Saving a LifeĪs mentioned above, Golden Comets are the brown egg layers of commercial egg farms, producing all the brown eggs you see in your local grocery store. They don’t usually peck my other hens and prefer to stay out of flock squabbles. In my own personal experience, Golden Comets are the most peaceful hens in my flock. Keep in mind to only allow hens to interact with new chicks when you are there to supervise. Most are very tolerant of baby chicks and will gladly hang out in the brooder with them. However, my Golden Comets are usually the first hens to welcome new members of the flock. Comet hens do not generally go broody and oftentimes will not take on the role of a surrogate mother. MYTH: Comets are not good brooders or mothers. While it is advisable to cover all chicken runs with ½-inch hardware cloth to keep poultry in and predators out, Comets must have a covered run to keep these girls contained. Golden Comets love to forage and can easily clear a six-foot fence to find “greener pastures” or your next-door neighbor’s garden. Having raised both heritage and hybrid hens side by side, I can honestly say that Comets do behave just like every other chicken breed. Many poultry enthusiasts believe that because they don’t breed true, this somehow makes these lively hens inferior to heritage chicken breeds. The most common Comet myth is that they do not act like normal chickens. (Yes, that is experience talking.) Common Comet Myths These girls are extremely food motivated, and some will even try to beg for treats from your neighbors. When they are not snuggling with their favorite human, Comets can often be found begging for a treat. They are sweet and affectionate hens who will happily sit on your lap for hours. Golden Comets require a lot of attention from their owners, especially if bonded from an early age to a human. Some Comets even prefer the company of their favorite human over their flock mates. Comet hens bond very close to their human families and will happily follow their owners anywhere. Her sweet, people-loving personality will win over the hearts of even the non-chicken enthusiast. Lovely PersonalityĪ Golden Comet hen’s personality is easily her best trait. There is a reason commercial brown egg farms and small egg business owners alike choose Golden Comets over any other breed. Golden Comets are reliable egg layers and will easily outproduce all the other hens in your hen house. Some Comet hens will even lay eggs with speckles similar to a Welsummer hen’s eggs. Eggs vary in color from a light creamy brown to a deep red-brown. Hens produce an abundance of extra-large eggs for the first three years of their lives (averaging 5+ large brown eggs weekly) before egg production declines. The number one reason most people keep Comets is for their excellent egg production. The difference between auto-sexing and sex-links is that auto-sexing chickens breed true, producing auto-sexing young. Golden comets should never be confused with auto-sexing chickens. Also, starting each generation of chickens from the new parent stock keeps these chickens from becoming too interbred. The pros to not being able to breed true are that Golden Comets (and other sex-links) are not prone to many of the health problems found in purebred chickens. The trait of not breeding true is often considered a con by many chicken enthusiasts. The only way to sex the chicks accurately is through traditional vent sexing. If you breed a Golden Comet hen and rooster together, the chicks will not be sex-linked. The reason for this is the breed doesn’t breed true. A mixed breed flock, including golden comets, is beautiful and productive.Ĭomets, like all sex-links, are considered to be a hybrid. Female Comets sport a few white feathers in their uniquely colored feather pattern. Female chicks hatch a reddish buff-colored down that will grow into beautiful golden-red feathers as the hen matures. Comet roosters also sport a little bit of red in the neck and saddle feathers. Male chicks hatch a pale yellow that will turn into creamy white feathers as the rooster matures. Golden Comets are part of a group of chickens called sex-links, meaning the breed can be sexed by the color of its down when the chick hatches, saving backyard chicken owners the stress of unwanted roosters. With their excellent egg production and winning personalities, Golden Comets can’t be beat. However, Golden Comets have a lot to offer backyard enthusiasts. OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY small backyard flock owners, Golden Comet hens have been raised mostly by commercial farms and for those wishing to start their own egg business. Discover the pros of owning golden comet hens, a one-of-a-kind chicken.
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