Breeding my own Golden Comets

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wordgirl

wordgirl

One of the Shire-folk
15 Years
Apr 14, 2009
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I've heard that Golden Comets are often the cross between a New Hampshire Red rooster over a White Rock hen. Is this true? And if I did try this cross myself, would my birds be as fantastic layers as the hybrids I get from my hatchery?

Any tips/advice/opinions?

Thanks!
 
I may be wrong on this, but I believe that golden comets (AKA ISA browns, golden sexlinks, etc.) are made by crossing a RIR rooster with a RIW hen. Your hybrid should be as good as, if not better than(depending on the quality of the birds you use), the hatchery's hybrid.
 
"Golden Comets" are a cross of New Hampshire Red/White Rock. Here are the two best places I've found to learn about sex-links:

www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261208
www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sex-links/BRKSexLink.html

According to the BYC link, White Rocks are not a good choice for producing red sex-links, because they will often have the "dominant white" gene, versus the "silver gene." To make a red sex-link, the hen MUST have the silver gene. If you're wanting to make red sex-links, from research I've done, and asking questions here, I'd reccomend a RIR or Production Red roo, crossed with a RIW, SLW, or Delaware hens. This should make red sex-links that lay well. Or you could use BR hens and make black sex-links. Hope this helps!
 
Hmm...my hatchery doesn't sell New Hampshire Reds or Rhode Island Whites, which I would probably like to use. I guess I could use the RIR for my male, but I'm concerned about aggression issues.

My hatchery DOES sell White Rocks, although none of the female breeds listed in Group 1. How would I know if they carry the silver gene?
 
There is now way to know if she has the Silver genes unless you breed her, unless it is from a breed that is know to always have the silver genes like anything with silver in its name ( Silver laced, Silver Penciled ) or Light Columbian colored hens. ( Sussex. Brahmas, Wyandottes)

It is actually not a matter of "dominant white" gene, versus the "silver gene." It is a matter of the presents or the lack of the silver gene. A dominant white hen can produce sexlinks if she has the silver gene. Like RIW carry dom white and have the silve gene, so the produce sexlinks with the females being red with WHITE tails. White leghorn hens, which are dominant white but usually do not have the silver gene, produce chicks that are all white with black dots.

The names of all these Sexlink breeds get confusing becuase when I think of a golden commet, I think of Red hens with white tails, The white tails comes from the dominant white in the RIW hens that should be used to creat them. Since White Rocks are generally Recessive white, not dominant, if she did have the silver genes, the pullets she would produce would be red with BLACK tails, much like RIR and Pro Reds. The Sexlinks with that are red with black tails are what I call Red Sexlinks. Also with White Rocks being recessive white, the could be masking other colors like Black or Barring and you may end up with just mutt colored chicks if they are.

So if you want Sexlinks with the females being red with white tails, you should use RIW hens with a gold rooster of what ever breed you choose. That is what I use and I get cute little red and white pullets and white roos.
 
Quote:
Please verify this for me... Do you mean that some of the pullets are white (like the roosters)? Or are you saying that the pullets are red with white tails? Thanks!
 
Quote:
Thank you! Have you EVER gotten a white pullet from your RIW sex-links? How easy are they to sex as day olds (are the two colorings different enough)? Photos, if you have them, would be very appreciated. Thank you RareRoo... I've learned so much from you about sex-links.
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