Golden Comet...Cakkle Hatchery... Experience

[2crazy2run]

I'm seriously considering the Golden Comets as my two young sons have shown interest in selling eggs and raising chickens.... Does anyone have experience with Cakkle's line of Comets or anyone else's? Thanks for your input

 

[LoneOak]

I have some Golden Comets that came from another hatchery not Cackle though. I do have some Rhode Island White Hens and 3 Rhode Island Red Roosters that came from Cackle, they are what cackle told me they breed to get their Golden Comets.

All my birds from Cackle arrived healthy but I did lose some a couple weeks later because fire ants got in my brooder. If it hadn't of been for the ants I do believe I would still have all 25 chicks I ordered from them.

Cackle was easy to deal with and answered my question when I asked which birds their farmers breed together to get the Golden Comets, I plan on raising some myself just as soon as these girls start laying and the roosters get frisky. They aren't quite old enough yet but I should know how they lay in about 4 more weeks.

The Golden Comets are a beautiful bird but they aren't as friendly as the Rhode Island Whites. I have the RIWs from two different hatcheries and all of them are the most gentle docile birds I have ever seen. The comets are nice and quite but don't interact with people the way the whites do, they don't act scared and run off but they don't want to be picked up and handled where the whites will stand in front of you peck at your shoes and wait on you to pick them up. If your working in the coop and relax for a minute they will jump up on your back and hang out on your shoulder till you shoo them off.

We'll see in a few weeks which one is the better layer and I suspect that will be the Comets as they are breed to be super egg layers.


Golden Comet


Rhode Island White

 

[2crazy2run]

Thanks.... Makes it a lot more more enjoyable when your chickens have a good personality! I am hearing that same theme with the Comets.... great layers, not mean, but not real friendly..... All business.... LOL.... I may end up with Rhode Island white or Barred Rock... Have a few 2 mth old Rocks now.

 

[popsicle]

I got two batches from Cackle this year--first, five Easter Eggers; second, about 25 assorted breeds (Cherry Eggers, but no Golden Comets or Rocks). Only one has started laying. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from Cackle again.

My general experience with pullets, and Cackle is no exception, is that they really settle down once they hit Point of Lay. My Easter Eggers were WILD, especially a "golden comet" colored pullet. That pullet was the first to start laying (beautiful blue eggs) and now I can walk right up to her and pick her up. I don't work with my birds to make them tame--they almost always calm down once they start laying. The main exceptions to that rule for me has been one Barred Rock and one New Hampshire were very tame from the get-go--though the BR is an absolute snot to other birds.

 

[theGrizzFan]

Imagine this: You get some chicks from a hatchery, everything goes well for the first four months, and then more than half of the chickens that you raised and cared for start going blind. You talk to the hatchery about it, you search all possible causes and take them to a vet. You find out that your chickens have cataracts, most probably because they were excessively inbred. You go back to the hatchery with this information so other customers won't have to deal with this problem in the future and they could care less. You paid for healthy chicks, and got healthy chicks. What becomes of them a few months later is no concern of the hatchery's, whether it's your fault or theirs.
This is what happened to me with chickens that I bought from Cackle. If the idea of raising blind chickens appeals to you then I would suggest buying from them. If a companies moral responsibility ends when their product leaves the building, even if they know that they are selling a flawed product, then by all means, buy fron Cackle.
I strongly suggest that you find people that care for their chickens and are willing to sell you some.

Best of luck to you.

 

[2crazy2run]

Thanks.... Keep 'em coming.... Experience beats the heck out of the School of Hard Knocks!

 

[popsicle]

I'm very curious if there is anybody else that has had this problem with the Dominiques.

Regardless, Golden Comets shouldn't have problems associated with inbreeding since they're a hybrid/crossbred.

 

[2crazy2run]

Good point, Popsicle.