Breeding Golden Comets

[chicken-keeper]

Well here the deal...... i am getting around 12 golden comets (hens) and i want them to have chicks, i know that i will need to get a cockral ideally this will be a golden comet aswell,

Dose this mean that all my chicks will golden coments?

Also once i have got the cockral what do i do? I know you need an incubator ext but i have no idea where to go from there. Also once i have a cockral when do the hens stop laying? And how do i tell if an egg has been fertilsed? Just looking for as much help and input from as many people as possible...... thanks !

One last thing, how do i limit the amount of chicks i get as i dont want hundreds of them ! Max of 20 !.

Thanks again !

 

[TimG]

The Golden Comet is a cross and will not breed true, even if a the cockerel is also a Golden Comet.

Even with a rooster, there is no guarantee that any of your hens will go broody. Quite likely that if you want chicks, you will have to incubate. But, that way you at least know the maximum number of chicks that will hatch.

The rooster and hens will take care of the fertilization without any effort on your part. Give them a week together and chances are good that nearly all eggs being produced are fertilized.

 

[ghulst]

Yes they are a cross however they will still be very good layers. You will get many colors from black to white and aeverything inbetween.

 

[har]

I have seen chickens bred with Comets and they come out white. I have put a Buff Orpington on the comet and you end up with a buff looking chick that realy grows well. Don't know about the laying part.

 

[chicken-keeper]

So if i get a golden comet cockral, and leave him in there for a two weeks, and on the second week collect eggs to be put in the incubator..... whats the average hatch success, so if a want around 5 chick's how many eggs do i put into the incubator?

Also how do i know if the cockral is fertilising the eggs?

Where can i get an incubator from? How much will it be and what exactly type do i need? Is there any websites with info such as this on?

Thanks

It takes around 21 days for the eggs to hatch from being put in the incubator right?

Also once they have hatch do i need a lamp or somthing? What type of lamp do i need.

Thanks

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

We cannot tell you what your hatch rate will be. It all depends on how good the equipment is and how stable it is.

Please...it is "cockerel." You will know that the cockerel is breeding then hens when he hops on top and does the breeding dance. You will know the eggs are fertile when you put them into the incubator and after 7 days see a network of "veins" in the eggs.

Yes, it takes 21 days for an egg to hatch.

2 weeks, if he is covering all the hens, should get you a nice fertility rate. Somewhere around 98-100% fertility.

Once the chicks hatch and dry off IN THE INCUBATOR, you will need to get a heat lamp for the chicks. The temperature in the brooder should be around 95* for the first week, 90* for the second week, etc. Me...I just put a lamp close to the ground at all times and let them move away from the lamp as they age.

 

[deerman]

Breeding golden comet X golden comet = mutt chicken and they are no longer sex link.

Comets do go broody and some make great mothers.

 

[chicken-keeper]

ok thanks everyone. whats a sex link and a mutt then?

Thanks

 

[deerman]

Sexlink, are a cross of two breeds, were you can sex the day old chicks by color.

Mutt chicks are just a mixes of breeds(not pure)

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Mutt: Cross of two breeds or more.
Sex-Link: Type of mutt that has been bred together to be sexed by color at birth.