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.
Golden Comet Quick Breakdown
Golden Comet Cheatsheet |
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Type | N/A since it is a hybrid |
Class | English |
Temperament | Docile and gentle |
Kid-friendly | Yes |
Broody | No |
Heat Hardiness | Tolerat better than bigger birds, but still have some shade for them and plenty of water |
Cold Hardiness | Yes |
Space per bird | 3-4 square feet per bird |
Beginner Friendly | Yes |
Eggs per year | 330 |
Egg Size | Medium to large |
Egg Color | Light brown |
Dual Purpose | Not necessarily because of how small they are |
Mature Weight | Male 96 oz (6lb) Female: 64 oz (4lb) |
Sex Link | Yes |
Comb Type | Single |
Heritage Breed | No since it is a hybrid |
Processing Age Ready | N/A |
Lifespan | 4-5 years |
Cost of Chicken | Between $3-$6 for chicks |
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Our Choice For Best Chicken Treats
- Increase Egg Production
- Stronger Egg Shells
- Healthy Feathers
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 annually – 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, you need a flock of White Rocks and a couple of New Hampshire roosters to maintain your flock.
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 |
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FAQs on the Golden Comet
Are Golden Comets dual purpose?
Technically Golden Comets can be dual-purpose.
Although the hens are small, they wouldn’t feed a family on their own. However, the males can be used for meat.
Can you hatch golden comet eggs?
Golden Comet Chicken: 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 birds to have around your yard.
Our Choice for All-In-One Automatic Chicken Coop Door
- Works Rain or Shine so you don’t have to let them out in inclement weather.
- Go ahead and get those extra hours of sleep or go on vacation, our door has you covered.
- Protect your Chickens from Predators with our self-locking feature
Our Choice For Best Chicken Treats
- Increase Egg Production
- Stronger Egg Shells
- Healthy Feathers
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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A neighbor gave me a GC. I had no idea her age. I figure she was pretty old since there wasn’t much production in the way of eggs. She was still fun to have around and I let her free range to get as many bugs as she wanted. She’d come to me when I called her.
The majority of my flock is made up of Golden Comets. The are calm, affectionate, easy to manage and easy to pet. They love to sit on my lap or legs. I take these girls out of the run and let them forage and they are really easy to catch and put back in the run. They are great for children to pet. By far, my fave hens to have. I also have some welsummers (all named skunk as they are ornery and hard to catch, 2 bantam leghorns (impossible to grab), a barred rock, a lacy wyandotte,and 2 americaunas for a total of 24 hens.
Thank you for sharing Karin 🙂
Claire
Is it available in India where we can get from
You could do a search on your local hatcheries.
Claire
Karnataka
I have 11 GC chickens and one of them just started laying. 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. My one granddaughter catches them for me to clip their wings and she loves them as well they are a great addition to are starter farm where we have ducks and goats as well… I just found out that you need to not only keep a cut down 5 gal bucket with water(about2inches) in your coop but also you need to spray them mostly under their wings for lice and other bugs we live in Arizona so we try to keep them as cool as possible
get a australorp, they are really great. They are just like the golden comets
We are waiting for our new chicks to arrive on the 15th. We got golden comets and black australorps. We can’t wait! First time chicken parents. 🤗
I bought 4 different breeds for my first flock. The golden buff was one of them. She was immediately my favorite because she was so smart and friendly. She laid every day. Through the winter and through her molt. She died shortly after her 4th birthday. Now I have a whole flock of them and they are even friendlier than Goldie was. I love them and i love the eggs. All the eggs are laid every morning before breakfast !
I’m caring for a flock of 11 GC’s in Thailand for a period of 5 months. I’m new to chicken care and find them easy to maintain. I let them free range while I’m nearby doing other work in the morning & evening and then they readily follow me back to their hutch when I feed them. They are nearing the end of their egg production laying every other day on average.
This breed looks very much like the ISA Brown. Initially bred for their hardy character and egg production for battery hens. I have an ISA ( marjorie). Shes quite a character .
They both have a hybrid parent in common, if I’m not mistaken. I got three of each for my backyard and it is quite difficult to tell the Comets from the Browns!
These sound like amazing birds! I’m looking into getting some but I do live in a colder climate and I was wondering if there was anything I should do to keep them comfortable.
Hi Megan,
There are lots of things you can do, we cover them in our winter guide here:
https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/the-definitive-guide-to-keeping-chickens-in-winter/
Claire
Although you can help to keep them comfortable in the cold, golden comets do better in warmer climates due to thier large comb and small size, but you can do it just be sure you do research before hand! I have 7 golden comets of my own, almost at laying age, and they are a joy to have!
I live in Alaska and love the GC they handle the cold very well I close them inside the coop when the temperature gets 10 below 0 and it a little heater inside I have to keep the water heated also they never stop laying year round
We have 11 Golden Comets that we fee range during the day in summer and they are so friendly. They meet my son at the bus stop and walk home with him, come when called and one will ring the doorbell when they want attention. Great layers and doing well during their first winter in New Hampshire.
My son gave me a GC that he found in his backyard one day. I had no clue what she was, but imediately saw that she was very gentle. I had a very hard time introducing her into the flock. A couple of my black sex links hated her for some reason and would not leave her alone. 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. I had a friend that agreed to take her and she’s doing very well there. Although she never laid an egg for me, after the first day with my friends flock she started laying eggs everyday. I purchased four more GC’s that are only a couple of weeks old right now. BTW, the two black sex links that were so mean ended up in freezer camp.
I bought some. At tractor supply and one of them came out with fuzzy feathers and feathered feet. Shes so cute and small. I can’t recall how old i would say about. 7 weeks or so not quite sure. But she’s one cute and joyful little one!
We have a large flock of gc’s. They are wonderful chickens. Very calm, not flighty, and their production – WOW! Every chicken laying a daily egg all the way through the depths of winter! We’ve just passed their 2-year mark and have noticed a drop-off in production. We will tag our “older girls” and bring in a bunch of gc pullets to keep production up, but allow our older girls to “go to pasture”. I’m hoping the older ones teach the younger ones good manners. 😉
Best of luck to you! Here are some tips https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/how-to-keep-hens-laying-eggs-through-the-winter/
Claire
I had three comets. They were the most friendly and funny hens I have had. I loved them! All three died of reproductive issues shortly after their second birthday. Maybe I just got poorly breed chicks but I will not get any more. That was too sad to go through and I hear that it is not uncommon for that to happen with any red sex link type chicken.
When you know your chickens are sick and are going to pass, what do you do?
We raised our first batch of Golden Comets last year, and they were amazing egg layers! We ended up with a couple of Sebright Bantams as well which we put in with the GC girls. I don’t know if it was peer pressure, hormonal, or something else, but those little bantams weren’t supposed to lay more than a couple eggs a week. We got an egg a day off the Comets, and we got at least 5 a week from the bantams! We are on our second batch this year, as unfortunately our flock was ravaged by a bird dog that wormed it’s way into the pen. Needless to say, we beefed up security and now have a flock of 12 that just started laying. Great birds and so friendly!
I have raised both red and black sex links and my experience with them has been pretty much identical with everyone else’s who posted here. Although one of the best setting hens I ever had was a black sex link! But because of the burn-out issue and other health issues associated with commercial egg layers, I prefer breeds over hybrids.
GCs have been the most child-friendly and amusing chickens we have had. Smart, too. One learned to jump through hoops, another learned to “knock” on the door for snacks. And amazing layers. Do take the lifespan warnings into consideration. I have nursed too many GCs through tumors and egg yolk peritonitis–an ugly death–none lasted more than 4 years, most only about 2-3. My heritage-breed chickens still lay the odd egg and are over 8 yrs. old.
Several years ago I started with a pair of golden comets. I got them at 5 months old and they started to lay shortly after that. It took me a year but I named them Thelma and Louise. Perfect names for them. Last fall something attacked Thelma and I ended up getting Louise three new flockmates. An assortment of hens. We just added 5 more chicks mid-March. Louise gets along with everyone but often just does her own thing. She 3 1/2 years old and still lays an egg every day. This morning she lasted a jumbo, double yoked egg. I don’t think she read the part where she suppose to be laying fewer eggs. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy.
We have one GC for three years now. She is a great layer. She is so sweet and friendly, always comes to our back door to visit. We have five chickens and she is the favorite. The other ones are road island reds and coco Moran’s. We just got three GC chicks.
I have 5 Golden Comets (1 is a Cinnamon Queen) and they frequently lay very large eggs with double yolks. They chatter and trill and follow me around the yard, curious about everything! The other day, I ran a skill saw and noticed later they were trying to imitate its sound! I couldn’t be happier with my cheerful companions.
My GC girls are an amazing joy..from 2nd day of life my pit bull dog is very protective of them…they all think there best friends together..very friendly and child friendly too.!!
My father has eight Golden Comets, and I love those girls! They are so funny to watch, and they are always happy to see me. They really do like to be held and petted!
I have six GC and they are so sweet, friendly, and just awesome. They do like to travel to neighbors home but we can pick them up without trouble. They are about 9 months and I get an egg a day from them. They are so funny and have made me the crazy chicken lady. They follow me around the yard like a dog!
We had one golden comet she was four years old and she died yesterday.
A month before we bought three comet chicks so now we still have some.
I’ve raised GC for about 20 years best layers . This year they have developed cancer and they are dying off one by one . They are only 1 year old . Anyone heard of this problem? Perdue university told me to change hatchery .
I just purchased 8 GC peeps on Friday. Never heard of the breed, and I’ve raised chickens my whole life. So, that’s why I came here to do a little research and found out that this is what I knew as the Red Star breed. I always knew Red Stars were great layers, so I was very relieved that Comets were Stars. I just wanted to mention their friendliness. Of all the breeds I’ve ever raised, the one thing I noticed right away was how friendly they were with people. Picking up the peeps and handling them did not bother them one bit, which is unusual with most breeds.
Wow, I had no idea that Golden Comet Chickens were so unique! I love learning about new breeds and their characteristics. These birds are definitely on my list of wannabes now! Thanks for sharing this informative post! 🐓👏