Other names |
|
---|---|
Nicknames |
|
Country of origin | United States |
Use | eggs |
Traits | |
Weight |
|
Skin color | yellow |
Egg color | brown |
Comb type | single |
Classification | |
Notes | |
Level of care: Suitable for beginners | |
|
Golden Comet is a cross bred and sex linked chicken gotten from the crossbreeding of a female White Rock or Rhode Island White and a male New Hampshire Red chicken. [1] [2]
They can be considered as one of the most successful sex linked chickens, [3] and is arguably one of the most widely kept hybrid hen in the USA. [4] The Hubbard firm was the originator of the Golden Comet Chicken breed. [5] Its other names include Golden Buff, Red Star, Gold Sex-Link and Cinnamon Queen. [2]
It is not officially recognized as a breed of chicken by the American Poultry Association because it is a crossbreed. [6]
It is favored for its egg production. [7] As Golden Comet roosters are not favoured for egg production, any male chicks that hatch are not preserved. [8] They are ideal for small-scale agriculture. [9] They can lay up to 6 eggs per week on average, that is 330 eggs on average, per annum. [6] They can start producing eggs when they are 16 weeks old. [9] Golden Comet hens are productive until they reach the age of approximately two years. Beyond that point, their egg production gradually declines, and by around the third year, egg laying may cease, sometimes even earlier. Therefore they have a short production lifespan. The Golden Comet chickens are frequently adopted by the public as rescue hens once they have completed their initial two years in commercial production. [2] Younger pullets initially lay slightly smaller eggs, but the eggs tend to increase in size over the next few weeks as they mature. [9] Female Golden comets do not usually exhibit signs of broodiness, that is the urge to sit on their eggs till it hatches. [8] To produce Golden Comets, you will need a New Hampshire rooster and a White Rock hen, rather than attempting to pair two Golden Comets. Alternatively, they can easily be acquired from hatcheries.
It rivals the Rhode Island Red due to their similar production value. [8]
Their bodies form an inverted U-shape, and the hens carry their tail feathers high. [3] The golden comet's plumage tends to lean more towards reddish-brown hue, although some individuals may display slightly lighter feathers or gold-colored hue. Others might exhibit honey-toned feathers or have white patches amidst the red. Their combs, earlobes, and wattles are all a vibrant shade of upright red. With orange eyes and bone-colored or yellow beaks, golden comets are further characterized by unfeathered legs that reveal yellow skin and four toes on each foot. When they are chicks, the females exhibit stripe-like patterns on their backs similar to chipmunks and generally have darker down feathers. [8]
It has a laidback, relaxed and amiable temperament. [5]
They are sex linked, that means that the sex of a chick is discernible from birth as both male and females have distinct physical attributes, e.g color. Distinguishing between female and male Golden comets is based on their coloration. Females are characterized by a golden buff color with stripes, while males display a pale yellow hue. [2] This coloration fades off as they become adults, with some white feathers showing at the back of their neck. [10]
They have an average lifespan of 4 to 5 years. [2]
Their combs are susceptible to frostbite. [1] After reaching three years of age, they become increasingly vulnerable to reproductive organ problems, including conditions like peritonitis and tumors, primarily because of the significant strain placed on these body parts. [2]
Golden Comets are adaptable to different climates, thriving in both hot and cold weather. They require warm nesting material, like hay or straw, in cold conditions. [10] In terms of heat tolerance, they are more resilient than some larger chickens, however, they still require shade and ample water to manage the heat effectively. [4] These chickens can tolerate various living conditions, provided they have enough space, ideally three to four square feet per bird. They also excel at free-ranging, showcasing their foraging skills and supplementing their diets with insects. [1] For a harmonious mix, breeds such as Cochins, Plymouth Rocks, Faverolles, or Orpington are excellent choices. [4]
The chicken is a large and round short-winged bird, domesticated from the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago. Most chickens are raised for food, providing meat and eggs; others are kept as pets or for cockfighting.
The Silkie is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk and satin. The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens have only four. They are often exhibited in poultry shows, and also appear in various colors. In addition to their distinctive physical characteristics, Silkies are well known for their calm and friendly temperament. It is among the most docile of poultry. Hens are also exceptionally broody, and care for young well. Although they are fair layers themselves, laying only about three eggs a week, they are commonly used to hatch eggs from other breeds and bird species due to their broody nature. Silkie chickens have been bred to have a wide variety of colors which include but are not limited to: Black, Blue, Buff, Partridge, Splash, White, Lavender, Paint and Porcelain.
Breed broiler is any chicken that is bred and raised specifically for meat production. Most commercial broilers reach slaughter weight between four and six weeks of age, although slower growing breeds reach slaughter weight at approximately 14 weeks of age. Typical broilers have white feathers and yellowish skin. Broiler or sometimes broiler-fryer is also used sometimes to refer specifically to younger chickens under 2.0 kilograms, as compared with the larger roasters.
The Australorp is a chicken breed of Australian origin, developed as a utility breed with a focus on egg laying and is famous for laying more than 300 eggs per year. It achieved world-wide popularity in the 1920s after the breed broke numerous world records for number of eggs laid and has been a popular breed in the western world since. It is one of eight poultry breeds created in Australia and recognised by the Australian Poultry Standards. The most popular colour of the breed is black, which is the only colour recognised in the United States of America, but blue and white are also recognised in Australia and the Poultry Club South Africa recognises buff, splash, wheaten laced and golden in addition.
Sex-links are crossbred chickens whose color at hatching is differentiated by sex, thus making chick sexing an easier process. Sex-links come in several varieties. As hybrids of laying or dual-purpose breeds infused with extra vigor via heterosis, sex-links can be extremely good egg-layers which often produce 300 eggs a year or more depending on the quality of care and feed. The color of their eggs vary according to the mix of breeds, and blue-green eggs are possible.
Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chickens are killed for consumption annually. Chickens raised for eggs are known as layers, while chickens raised for meat are called broilers.
The Sebright is a British breed of bantam chicken. It is a true bantam – a miniature bird with no corresponding large version – and is one of the oldest recorded British bantam breeds. It is named after Sir John Saunders Sebright, who created it as an ornamental breed by selective breeding in the early nineteenth century.
The Faverolles is a French breed of chicken. The breed was developed in the 1860s in north-central France, in the vicinity of the villages of Houdan and Faverolles. The breed was given the name of the latter village and the singular is thus also Faverolles, not Faverolle. The final "s" is silent in French.
The Delaware is a breed of chicken originating in the U.S. state of Delaware. It was once of relative importance to the U.S. chicken industry, but today is critically endangered. It is primarily suited to meat production but also lays reasonably well. It has plumage of a unique pattern, and is accepted into poultry standards for showing.
The Java is a breed of chicken originating in the United States. Despite the breed's name, a reference to the island of Java, it was developed in the U.S. from chickens of unknown Asian extraction. It is one of the oldest American chickens, forming the basis for many other breeds, but is critically endangered today. Javas are large birds with a sturdy appearance. They are hardy, and are well-suited for both meat and egg production, especially by small-scale farms, homesteads, and backyard keepers.
The Derbyshire Redcap is a breed of chicken originating in the English county of Derbyshire. The name "Redcap" derives from the breed's unusually large Rose-type comb. British breed standards dictate a length of more than 7 centimetres (3 inches) of length for a Redcap comb. It is covered in small, fleshy points, and has a distinct spike pointing backwards called a "leader". Combs, wattles and earlobes are all ideally bright red.
Urban keeping of chickens as pets, for eggs, meat, or for eating pests is popular in urban and suburban areas. Some people sell the eggs for side income.
Broodiness is the action or behavioral tendency to sit on a clutch of eggs to incubate them, often requiring the non-expression of many other behaviors including feeding and drinking. Being broody has been defined as "Being in a state of readiness to brood eggs that is characterized by cessation of laying and by marked changes in behavior and physiology". Broodiness is usually associated with female birds, although males of some bird species become broody and some non-avian animals also show broodiness.
Delayed-feathering in chickens is a genetically determined delay in the first weeks of feather growing, which occurs normally among the chicks of many chicken breeds and no longer manifests itself once the chicken completes adult plumage.
Chick sexing is the method of distinguishing the sex of chickens and other hatchlings, usually by a trained person called a chick sexer or chicken sexer. Chicken sexing is practiced mostly by large commercial hatcheries to separate female chicks or "pullets" from the males or "cockerels". The females and a limited number of males kept for meat production are then put on different feeding programs appropriate for their commercial roles.
The broiler industry is the process by which broiler chickens are reared and prepared for meat consumption. Worldwide, in 2005 production was 71,851,000 tonnes. From 1985 to 2005, the broiler industry grew by 158%.
Poularde is a culinary term for a chicken that is at least 120 days old at the time of slaughter and fattened with a rich diet that delays egg production. In the past it was common to spay the chickens early in life to ensure desirable meat quality, similar to the castration of a capon.
In poultry farming, in-ovo sexing is a chick sexing method carried out while chicks are still in ovo. There are various methods to determine a chick's sex in the 21-day incubation period before it hatches.
Altsteirer, also known as the Styrian Hen and Chicken, Slovene: Štajerska kokoš or Štajerka, German: Altsteirer Huhn, is an autochthonous breed of domestic chicken originating in Slovenia and Austrian state Styria. The Styrian Hen is known as the only autochthonous (native) chicken breed of Slovenian area, with all other breeds being traditional at most, hence introduced in the past and consequently adapted to country's conditions. The Altsteirer's set of traits suggests the breed may share a common descent with other Mediterranean chicken breeds.
Prelux are commercial chicken crossbreeds of the Slovenian origin, that are being sold under the eponymous trademark by the Biotechnical Faculty of University of Ljubljana. The name is an abbreviation for the Slovenian phrase prevojski luxuriranci, with a word luxuriranci referring to luxuriance (heterosis) or outbreeding enhancement of hybrid offspring, and adjective prevojski referring to the Slovenian settlement Prevoje, where selective breeding was once performed. This name was given to quality layer hens, that are being obtained by crossbreeding three Slovenian traditional breeds of layer hens; Slovenian Barred, Slovenian Brown and Slovenian Silver Hen. The most known and best-selling layer hens of the trademark Prelux are Prelux-Č, Prelux-G and Prelux-R. A part of the selection is also a meat type chicken (broiler), Prelux-BRO.