Loved my Golden Comets - looking for similar

[bayareapilot]

I was going through some old photos that I came across some of the golden comets that I had they were a sex-linked breed. I picked the sex link because I didn't want to risk having a rooster.
I absolutely loved the golden comets, the only problem though is they were prolific egg producers - not a day went by even through winter that they didn't lay. Then by the time they were about 3 years old I lost them to egg laying issues.

It was especially hard losing them because they were easily the friendliest chickens I've ever had. They would follow me all over the run. When I sat down they jump up and sit in my lap. They were like little puppies so to speak.

My understanding with this particular sex Link is that they're designed to be very prolific in egg-laying and that tends to bite them by the time they reach a few years old.

So, I don't want to risk going through that again and was wondering is there a breed of chicken that is as friendly as the golden comets were that is not a sex-link breed?

I mean they were wonderful, I didn't have to do anything to Garner their trust they just followed me everywhere around the run when I was taking care of the run and the coop. As I said earlier, as soon as I sat down they jump in my lap and I pet them on their feathers and it was wonderful. Never had a breed like that before and was of course looking to see if I could find a non-sex-linked breed that has a very similar personality? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I've raised Golden Comets along with other sex linked breeds like Isa Browns, Black Stars, and am currently raising Cinnamon Queens. They definitely do have a personality that's hard to beat. You can get them as started pullets who has had no time put into them, and yet they still will come running to you like you were there since they came out of the egg.

Of non sex linked breeds, Buff Orpingtons usually come out on top. They are one of the most common backyard chickens. You can get them in more colors than Buff, such as, Black, Lavender, or like one of the hens I had, Lemon Cuckoo. Most are good personality wise, but some do require some time put into them because every bird is different. I've raised both Buffs and other colored Orpingtons, and more times than not, they were very friendly and were excellent around kids. (Just my Betty alone proved how good they were. She was even good around strangers at public events away from the farm! She'd let them pet her, walk her on a leash, and she'd eat out of their hands and even do a trick I had taught her for them!)

One downside of the Orpingtons is that they are a heavy breed and won't lay as good as a Sex Link (which eggs don't sound as much as a problem to you). There are different varieties of them as well, such as Hatchery, American, and English. As far as I know, any variety is good, though some look better, and others are more heat tolerant. They are also a broody breed, so if you get the right ones, you might have one or two trying to hatch chicks (with or without a rooster present).

Personally, I think Orpingtons is your best bet. If you wanted variety, some other breeds include:

• Brahma (comes in Buff, Light, and Dark)
• Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire Red (these are where most RSLs come from)
• Barred Rock (another bird the Sex Link come from, but more of the White variant, they tend to be wanderers)
• Australorp (these may require extra time)
• Sussex (most common are the Speckled, but are prone to crop problems)
• Easter Egger (Ameraucana, Americana - Hatchery, etc, good for colored eggs, but aren't always friendly- some might need extra time put into them)
• Silkie (higher maintenance and brooders, but make awesome family pets)
• Cochin (basically Orpingtons but with feathered feet, highly broody)

There are plenty of other breeds as well, but these are some of the more common ones. I have raised all of these except for the Cochin, and they were all great birds. My overall best personality-wise were definitely the Orpingtons, NHR and RIRs, Brahmas, and Sussex. They'd come up to just about anybody and would eat out of any person's hand.

 

[bayareapilot]

I've raised Golden Comets along with other sex linked breeds like Isa Browns, Black Stars, and am currently raising Cinnamon Queens. They definitely do have a personality that's hard to beat. You can get them as started pullets who has had no time put into them, and yet they still will come running to you like you were there since they came out of the egg.

Of non sex linked breeds, Buff Orpingtons usually come out on top. They are one of the most common backyard chickens. You can get them in more colors than Buff, such as, Black, Lavender, or like one of the hens I had, Lemon Cuckoo. Most are good personality wise, but some do require some time put into them because every bird is different. I've raised both Buffs and other colored Orpingtons, and more times than not, they were very friendly and were excellent around kids. (Just my Betty alone proved how good they were. She was even good around strangers at public events away from the farm! She'd let them pet her, walk her on a leash, and she'd eat out of their hands and even do a trick I had taught her for them!)

One downside of the Orpingtons is that they are a heavy breed and won't lay as good as a Sex Link (which eggs don't sound as much as a problem to you). There are different varieties of them as well, such as Hatchery, American, and English. As far as I know, any variety is good, though some look better, and others are more heat tolerant. They are also a broody breed, so if you get the right ones, you might have one or two trying to hatch chicks (with or without a rooster present).

Personally, I think Orpingtons is your best bet. If you wanted variety, some other breeds include:

• Brahma (comes in Buff, Light, and Dark)
• Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire Red (these are where most RSLs come from)
• Barred Rock (another bird the Sex Link come from, but more of the White variant, they tend to be wanderers)
• Australorp (these may require extra time)
• Sussex (most common are the Speckled, but are prone to crop problems)
• Easter Egger (Ameraucana, Americana - Hatchery, etc, good for colored eggs, but aren't always friendly- some might need extra time put into them)
• Silkie (higher maintenance and brooders, but make awesome family pets)
• Cochin (basically Orpingtons but with feathered feet, highly broody)

There are plenty of other breeds as well, but these are some of the more common ones. I have raised all of these except for the Cochin, and they were all great birds. My overall best personality-wise were definitely the Orpingtons, NHR and RIRs, Brahmas, and Sussex. They'd come up to just about anybody and would eat out of any person's hand.

Oh this is a perfect overview I can't thank you enough for it! . For me my chickens are backyard pets. That they lay eggs at all is just a swell feature but just not primary for me. I I enjoy my other chickens but my goodness nothing was like the personality those golden comets had. The breed you suggested which was non sex-linked sounded like a good way to go. That they don't lay like other breeds is sort of inconsequential to me as you gathered.

So the so-called golden comets which I understand go by other names are a combination of a Rhode Island red and something else.

I'll check out the hen breed you mentioned and thank you for taking so much time for such a detailed response. It is very much appreciated thank you

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Oh this is a perfect overview I can't thank you enough for it! . For me my chickens are backyard pets. That they lay eggs at all is just a swell feature but just not primary for me. I I enjoy my other chickens but my goodness nothing was like the personality those golden comets had. The breed you suggested which was non sex-linked sounded like a good way to go. That they don't lay like other breeds is sort of inconsequential to me as you gathered.

So the so-called golden comets which I understand go by other names are a combination of a Rhode Island red and something else.

I'll check out the hen breed you mentioned and thank you for taking so much time for such a detailed response. It is very much appreciated thank you

You're welcome! I'm happy to have helped!

Back to the Golden Comets, they are in a category known as the Red Sex Link (RSL). Their name is specific to their breeding combination, such as, a New Hampshire Red mixed with a White Rock. Then you have the Isa Brown, same family, but with a Rhode Island Red parent. But yeah, most people would just call them a RSL at a glance. The personality is the same across most if not all.

If you do want something that is sex linked, there is at least one color variant of the Orpington that is, and that's the Lemon Cuckoo. They're a little bit harder to come by (and cost a lot more), but they are sex linked. The pullets are darker than the cockerels. It is a bit of a subtle difference, but I was able to notice when I got mine.

 

[bayareapilot]

You're welcome! I'm happy to have helped!

Back to the Golden Comets, they are in a category known as the Red Sex Link (RSL). Their name is specific to their breeding combination, such as, a New Hampshire Red mixed with a White Rock. Then you have the Isa Brown, same family, but with a Rhode Island Red parent. But yeah, most people would just call them a RSL at a glance. The personality is the same across most if not all.

If you do want something that is sex linked, there is at least one color variant of the Orpington that is, and that's the Lemon Cuckoo. They're a little bit harder to come by (and cost a lot more), but they are sex linked. The pullets are darker than the cockerels. It is a bit of a subtle difference, but I was able to notice when I got mine.

After my experience with the golden comets that were sex-linked, I think I don't prefer to stay away from that. Again, I have my chickens as pets so if they lay a lot of eggs are very little I don't care a whole lot. I'd just like them to be able to hang around for a while. Although I do have some Sapphire gems that are in their third year and so far no problems and they're a sex link. This is also a probably because they have a more normal laying pattern. Like right now they're laying very little just like my Easter eggers would do. The thing with the golden comets this poor little girls laid just about every day.

They didn't stop or slow down at all they went that way throughout the year and in the third year they started having all sorts of trouble and I started losing them to egg problems. Small Wonder the poor things probably wore out there egg laying mechanisms, as it were.

Their personalities though were just absolutely wonderful. I like all my chickens I like my Easter egg rooster who was supposed to be a hen. The sapphire gems are curious about me but not to the level that the golden comets were.

So I'd really like to get a few hens that were more like those golden comets - less the high egg laying propensity.

The reason why I was asking what it is they cross the golden comets with is I figure the personality came from one of the breeds that they're made up of? It sounds like these orpingtons might be the way to go.

The thing I liked about the sex link hens was that I knew that I really had hints. With the Easter eggers even with the so-called vent sexing which I got to say seems to be getting less and less accurate as the years go by, I ended up with the rooster surprise.
I will say now that I've had a rooster though is I can't imagine having a flock without one.

He's a peacemaker among the girls. For instance if one of them is getting a little extra out of hand with one of the other hens, he'll push himself between the two and kind of give them a long stare and then the bully hen will stop.

I've even watched as he does some digging in the open run and finds a bunch of bugs or worms or something and he'll call the hens over to where they are and let them have their fill. Then after they're done he'll go ahead and grab whatever few bugs are left. He's quite the gentleman. Early in his roosterhood I guess his teenage years he would try to get kind of pushy and assertive but as he's gotten older I think it's about 5 years old by now if I recall correctly maybe six, he and I go about just fine.