# Golden Comet chickens-good breed?



## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

We have only ever had Barred Rocks,liked them a lot but someone up this way has Golden Comets for sale so was wondering about the breed.

Also,how does $8 a hen sound for 1 year old hens?


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## lisa's garden (Apr 1, 2010)

It sounds high to me. Golden Comets are a hybrid that are good for laying gangbusters for the first year to 18 months, then they really drop off after the first molt. They also don't have offspring that are reliable layers, from what I have read.

We had some for sale here that were $4 each, and were about 9 months old...I missed out on the deal because I didn't want all 80 birds. But it is probably just as well, since we have all the eggs we need.


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## oz in SC V2.0 (Dec 19, 2008)

We haven't been seeing a lot of $5 layers around here,well not since we finished the coop and are ready for them...LOL.

I did just read about the issue with not having any offspring,hadn't read about their egg laying dropping off however.


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## seagullplayer (Nov 6, 2008)

They are a commercial egg laying hybrid. They are breed so that all their energy goes into egg production, that means poor feathering and poor meat production. But they are laying machines. They will not brood, and you do not get the same type bird back if you incubate their eggs.

If you need very good egg production they are good for that. It is correct the birds "age" pretty fast, you can get about two good years. I have had a few hens in the past, but they where past their prime when I got them at auction. The commercial guys replace them every year.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

I don't think the price is all that bad. They will start laying again as soon as their winter molt is over. You'll get another year of laying out of them, and then the residual value of stewing hen, which is certainly worth a couple of dollars.

If you buy chicks in the spring, a pullet chick is a couple of dollars and then you have to feed them and care for them for 4-6 months before you get any eggs.

They are hybrids, so no good for hatching chicks for your own flock. 

This time of year, it's very likely that the seller will accept a couple of dollars less per hen.


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## mommathea (May 27, 2009)

They are the same thing as sex-links. Won't breed true, but make great layers, but they do stop laying a lot more quickly like stated before. I always get a couple each year. they are beautifull light golden red birds. But no, I wouldn't pay that price for them. And you don't know that they are the age the seller is passing them off for.


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## AZHomesteadGal (May 7, 2008)

An $8 laying hen is cheap around here for any hen, but to me I think you will get a good deal.. see if someone else will go in with you to share the cost if they want to sell all at one time.. I have Golden Comets and they are a breed between a RIR Rooster and a White leghorn hen, and they are pretty. they can start laying at 4 to 6 months old and they lay a dark brown jumbo egg (bigger than store bought Jumbo eggs) , as they get older around 8 to 9 months they lay an egg that's as big or bigger than some ducks lay, they don't molt and they do lay lots of eggs even in the winter, and all the way up to 4 and 5 years old.. they are not sex links they are bred differently, I am going to hatch more eggs in a couple of months with one of my RIR rooster's and one of the white leghorns, Since I have started raising Golden comets I want more and they are a sweet natured hen. I also have Americana's, I love their beautiful colored eggs, I have 10 of them I raised from 2 day old they are different colors and beautiful, I need to take out 3 roosters so there will only be 1 rooster in there. I also have RIR hens and some white leghorns and some buff orpingtons. The Golden Comets eggs are huge compared to theirs. Yes after about three years they start laying less, but guess what so do other breed hens.


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

A few weeks back the Golden Comets were the top sellers at Auction for several weeks that I kept up with it----even with no mention of the age. They are good Layers, but if they are honest about that age I would like to get a few hundred of them---if they were local. Now if they are 1 year---almost 2 years old----they are probably layer house chickens that are being replaced.


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## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

Old thread alert.


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