Golden Comet Help

[tstiles01]

Okay so I am new to BYC as of today. I purchased White Rock Hens and New Hampshire Red Roosters as Chicks from Welp Hatchery. My pourpose was to make Golden Comets. Well we have the comets but here is the Thing. they are 2-4 mo old and they are a blondish red color whith white bars and a little black or grey in the tail or they are a greyish color with bars and have the blondish colors on there neck. What the HECK. What am I doing wrong? Someone please help me.

 

[JMarch]

the barring is throwing me off some. Will be great layers, though.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Okay so I am new to BYC as of today. I purchased White Rock Hens and New Hampshire Red Roosters as Chicks from Welp Hatchery. My pourpose was to make Golden Comets. Well we have the comets but here is the Thing. they are 2-4 mo old and they are a blondish red color whith white bars and a little black or grey in the tail or they are a greyish color with bars and have the blondish colors on there neck. What the HECK. What am I doing wrong? Someone please help me.

Hi and welcome - it might be better if you take some photos and post them so that we can see what it is you are describing.

 

[tstiles01]

That is exactly what I want a good layer and not really concerned about color other than the fact that I will be selling Chicks and want everyone to like what they get. I am afraid that they will question our breeding stock. and will post pics as soon as I get home.
We have a friend that lives in Indiana and he goes and gets eggs from an Amish lady and she has golden comets and the eggs are ginormous.
Thanks

 

[Michael OShay]

Okay so I am new to BYC as of today. I purchased White Rock Hens and New Hampshire Red Roosters as Chicks from Welp Hatchery. My pourpose was to make Golden Comets. Well we have the comets but here is the Thing. they are 2-4 mo old and they are a blondish red color whith white bars and a little black or grey in the tail or they are a greyish color with bars and have the blondish colors on there neck. What the HECK. What am I doing wrong? Someone please help me.

White Rock development has been convoluted, and not all White Rocks carry the silver gene necessary for producing Red Sex Links (Golden Comet is one of many labels used by some hatcheries to market their Red Sex Links). Unless you know that a particular White Rock line carries that silver gene, you are better off to use either Rhode Island Whites, Delawares, Silver Laced Wyandottes, or Light Sessex; all of which carry the silver gene necessary for producing Red Sex Links. Actually, most hatcheries which market their Red Sex Links under the label Golden Comet use RIR x RIW. One exception is the Hubbard Golden Comet which is NHR x WR (those that carry the silver gene).

 

[tstiles01]

Thanks Micheal you are awesome. I have Delawares also. so there shouldnt be any problems with them as far as the color then right.

 

[Michael OShay]

Thanks Micheal you are awesome. I have Delawares also. so there shouldnt be any problems with them as far as the color then right.

No, all Delawares posses the silver gene necessary to produce Red Sex Links. The chicks that hatch from the HNR roos x the Delaware hens can be easily sexed at hatching. Male chicks will be whitish and female chicks will be reddish. This distinction will be with them throughout their lives. Roosters will be primarily white with some reddish feathers in the saddle, and hens will be reddish with white underfluff. Good luck in breeding those RSLs.

 

[tstiles01]

Okay Great. Will they produce 280 to 320 eggs per year. I know that is probably a stupid question but I am looking for the production side as well. I know the comets produce extra large eggs and lays large qty.

 

[Michael OShay]

Okay Great. Will they produce 280 to 320 eggs per year. I know that is probably a stupid question but I am looking for the production side as well. I know the comets produce extra large eggs and lays large qty.

That's pretty typical production for Sex Link chickens. They always outproduce either parent breed (no matter which red and silver gene parents are used). It's one of the interesting quirks of hybridization. I've had both Red and Black Sex Links (still have the Blacks) and they both pretty consistently lay more than 300 eggs per hen per year.

 

[tstiles01]

Awesome. You have been so much help...