Golden Comet Rooster Temperment

[Zyxthior]

I'm on my third batch of laying hens, and this time around I did the same thing I did the first time and got 6 Golden Comet chicks. The first time I had Comets they were incredibly friendly and incredible layers.

So this time I got another 6 chicks....but I'm starting to think that one may be a cockerel....he's far lighter colored than the others.

The question becomes...what do I do with him if he/she gets older and turns out to be a him. I have 3 daughters, ages 8, 7, and 3....how tempermental are the comet roosters? I've never had a rooster before...so what should I be expecting?

 

[Michael OShay]

Golden Comet is one of a number of labels under which some hatcheries market their Red Sex Links, which are laying machines. Red Sex Link rooster are usually pretty good with people but can occasionally be aggressive. If you keep one a Golden Comet rooster, I would keep a careful eye on his behavior and if he does become aggressive, I would quickly get rid of him as you do not want to risk injury to your children, nor do you want to breed aggression into your flock. Also, I you do have a cockerel in your flock, I would get a few more hens to go with him. The recommended ratio of roosters to hens is 1 rooster for every 10 hens. As they mature, too many roosters (or in your case too few hens) will become very hard physically on your hens; over-breeding them, biting and plucking the feathers from their necks and backs, battering them, and potentially, seriously injuring them. The only reason you really need to keep a rooster is to fertilize eggs for hatching, and 1 rooster can easily handle 10-15 hens in this regard.