Gold Comet Vs Barred Rock

[tlbunting1962]

I met a lady at my daughter's swim practice yesterday, she was selling eggs for a friend of hers. She proceed to tell us that they were from Gold Comets. I have never heard of that breed. She is telling me that Barred rocks are just as mean as RI. Now I will say that I have had RI and was not please with their disposition. But I still think they are beautiful birds and for some folks maybe they are not that way. I raised from pullets and handled them and all.
I read that the BR and the Black Australops had good dispositions. Now this woman tells me otherwise. I have my heart set on those for now. Of course when I have more land I would like to get more.

But anyway I also read that the Gold Comets are hybrids. She told me that they only lay for two years is that right? I want chickens I can make pets out of as well. I do not intend to eat the ladies. I want them for eggs but I want them to be happy and healthy and not genetically engineered. I thought the price that she was selling the eggs for were a little over the top. I guess that is because I already get free eggs from the farm next to my friend.

Help! I need help with this decision and making sure that I am making the right choice in chickens.

Thank you all.
Tammy

 

[Kansaseq]

I've only ever had 2 barred rocks, but they were not mean. One managed to escape every day for God knows how long to lay a huge clutch of eggs under my house. She wailed like a banshee when I moved her, but she never tried to peck or hurt me.
I would imagine that temperment would depend in part on the breeding lines the bird came from.

 

[Judy]

From what I've read on here, BR's generally tend to have better personalities than hatchery RIR's, and the little experience I have with these 2 breeds matches this. I've had two different sets of Australorps and have found them all to be calm and easy to handle, including 2 roosters who do not attack and are good caretakers of their flocks, which again matches what I've read. One of our mods has a pet BR rooster who's had quite a history and is well known here. However, chickens are individuals, and I doubt any statement like this will hold up 100% of the time.

Certainly, she is wrong that Gold Comets will only lay for two years. It is probably true that this is what they were bred for, to be taken out of production in about that time frame, but that does not mean they will drop dead or stop laying forever at that age.

In a sense, all chickens are genetically engineered, except perhaps for the jungle fowl (the original chickens,) in the sense that they have been bred for many generations to select for certain traits.

If I were you, I'd get the breeds I want. If possible, try to find someone in your area who does their own breeding rather than ordering from a large hatchery or buying from a feed store which is usually stocked from a hatchery. If no one is available, plenty of us have only hatchery birds, including me. I recently learned there are at least two breeders within an hour or less of me who have good stock, and I learned it here on BYC. Perhaps you will also be fortunate in this way.

 

[tlbunting1962]

Thank you for all your advice. I did speak with the local feed store owner and she was great. Now the other thing I like is the bulletin board at the feed store. On there I have found several people that are selling different types of livestock. I will of course check them out as well. The FS owner did take my name down and the breeds and quantity that I want. We will not be ordering till spring. I see that you are in GA. I am down here in FL. But I will start checking all the feed store's bulletin boards for more resources on my chickens.

Thanks again.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I think "golden comet" is just a new name for the red sex-link. When we got ours, they were called "red stars". They are very nice birds and excellent layers. Ours are almost 2 and still laying like crazy; I believe they gave you bad info about laying. We also have BR's and they are not "mean" either. Ours do tend to pick on the other chickens more and bully them a little but that's because they are bigger and at the top of the pecking order. They are also excellent layers.

I'm sure you will be happy with whichever breed you choose.

 

[Quillgirl]

Well, I have all three sorts of hens: barred rocks, one golden comet, and one black aussie (down from two.) I'm not an expert, but here's what I see so far:

The Golden Comet is a very pretty and sweet girl, bigger than my others by a little bit, but not at the top of the pecking order. She is a little more cautious and nervous than the others (not as bold.) I don't believe I'd call her breed "genetically engineered" so much as, a cross-breed variety. GCs are not a pure strain, suitable for show, but a cross of two chicken varieties that resulted in a characteristic of increased laying. Also a very pretty bird, IMO.

My Aussie is the dominate hen. She is not mean or "peckish", but she does call everyone in for the night and she is vigilant, and lets them know to be cautious--makes the hawk warning call. She is friendly, but really doesn't like to be picked up. My other Aussie (RIP-hawk) was actually more docile than this one, but she was lower on the pecking order.

My barred rocks are feisty and like to vie for top bird. They are very good at flying, as opposed to the GC and BA (maybe because they are heavier.) They love to perch on the highest roosts, and they fly up to sit on my arms and shoulders when I'm in the run. They are the most curious of the bunch, always poking their beaks into everything, and the first to run up to me when we are outside. They don't love to be picked up, but calm down once you do so. They like it to be their idea.

My most docile by far are my Buff Orpingtons. They are very friendly, don't mind being picked up, follow me around, and do that "submissive squat" in front of me. They don't voluntarily fly up to sit on me, but do get under my feet when I'm in the run. They are the most prolific of the dust bathers, too. LOVE to dust bathe.

Hope that helps!

 

[speckledhen]

My favorite breed is the Barred Plymouth Rock. My roosters are BRs. They are a very friendly, curious, intelligent breed as a rule and are fabulous layers, overall.


Hybrid layers are bred for laying ability. They lay like gangbusters for two years, then taper off. Most birds taper off as they get older, but you can generally expect a longer laying life from one of the purebred heritage layers, like the BR. I have a three and a half year old BR who is laying well still.

 

[halo]

I have plymouth rocks of several colors, and they are the most mellow chickens. I never have a problem with them fighting, or bothering the younger chickens when I throw everyone together. Their attitude is one reason why I got them; they get along with everyone.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

I used to have standard Rock hens. They were fairly nice. I didn't raise them; they came free with the house. I have a bantam Rock cockerel. He's becoming a house chicken (

) and is really nice. He doesn't really like being held, though.

Any sex link/hybrid chicken that is "genetically engineered" as you put it, will lay for roughly two years and then stop. But during those two years, they lay virtually every day. These birds are very good if you want to make a profit off of brown eggs.
Rocks will lay consistently throughout most of their lives. You get about the same amount of eggs from both breeds if you look at their whole lives.

If you want birds for pets, I'd suggest getting Rocks if you want eggs throughout the birds' lives.

 

[tlbunting1962]

Wow you all have been so helpful. I believe I will stick with the original breeds and maybe add one of the gold comets just for hoot, oops probably should not use the word hoot around chickens. I mean just for the cluck of it.

Speckled hen is your Barred Roo that I am hearing about? I will have to go through the threads and read the stories.

I love all the info I get from here. I can not wait to get my chickens and get started.

Thanks to all again.
Tammy