California Gray???

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

foxflower: You know that these are not a true breed? When breed together you'll get a good number of purewhite chicks and some with barely any black on them at all, and some that look like the parents.

 

[ChickFarmer]

They do breed true they just arn't accepted by the APA. They are aoutosexing in the same way as the barred rocks. The male has 2 coppies of the barring gene the hen has1. However since they may carry recessive white, they can throw white sports. At one point barred rocks threw white sports and thats how we got white rocks.

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

However since they may carry recessive white, they can throw white sports

Like I said they don't breed true.


And they are not autosexing. Look it up on feathersite.​

 

[ChickFarmer]

The California Gray was developed around 1940 by Professor James Dryden. The goal was a dual purpose breed that laid large white eggs, as that was what the market wanted at that time. The birds have a body type heavier than a Leghorn but not as "clunky" as a Rock. Unlike most of the white egg breeds, Grays are not flighty birds and are excellent winter layers in cold climates.

When California Gray roosters are put on White Leghorn hens, a sex-linked hybrid, the California White, is produced. This hybrid is popular in the northern midwest and Canada. It is a white bird with occasional black feathers and can be feather-sexed at hatching.

Quoted from feathersite

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

Just an update. I checked with a fellow backyarder and here is what he says about California Whites.

The california white s have the wrong E locus to be sex linked so they can not be color sexed at hatch. The california gray is semi-autosexing. You can sex cali grays-like you do barred rock with the white spot on the head.
Feather site is wrong.

also, this I didn't know:

You can use the female california gray in a sex linked cross. You would cross the cali gray female with a male bird that is not barred or white in color. It is a black sex linked cross.

I'm not tryiong to get an argument started but I have tried breeding Cali Whites years ago and know for a fact that they will not breed true, maybe semi true, aee some of the offsrping will look like the parents.​

 

[silkiechicken]

I would bet most of the cali grays and whites are mixed up with leghorns now a days so most of those lines probably don't breed true even if they did in the past.

 

[ChickFarmer]

I would guess the california whites, being a white hybrid, are feather sexed with the sex linked slow feathering gene.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

California Grays were developed by Professor Dryden of Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University.) They are a breed although they are not recognized by the APA. Oregon State University still has an active poultry breeding program; and I believe it was even more active from the 1920s-1940s. I think the objective was Leghorn level production without all the drama and the reduction in production caused by minor disruptions that are found in easily stressed Leghorns.

I have often wondered if there is a metabolism error in white egg layers, similar to that found in some redheads, that leads to nervousness.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Quote:
thats an interesting concept, i wonder if thats possible, it might be, interesting point, now youve got me wondering too... lolz

 

[heidilogic]

Does anyone have an insight as to these birds behavior? I REALLY want a white egg layer but it seems like most of them (from what I have read) are flighty. And with three kids, a dog and various farm equipment making noise all the time I imagine they wouldn't stick around long. I've read the Cali. Gray are easier going then other white egg layers. Anyone found this to be true?