California Greys???

[Michael Apple]

Is his name Lucky?

It was a choice that took time since they all looked very healthy. Lucky he had good structure and a good upside down V shape to his tail feathers growing evenly. Being personable was a good characteristic too. Is that light brown Leghorn in your avatar still with you?

 

[Bullitt]

It was a choice that took time since they all looked very healthy. Lucky he had good structure and a good upside down V shape to his tail feathers growing evenly. Being personable was a good characteristic too. Is that light brown Leghorn in your avatar still with you?

That is not my Light Brown Leghorn. I just liked the picture. I think the body looks bigger in the picture, though.

 

[Michael Apple]

That is not my Light Brown Leghorn. I just liked the picture. I think the body looks bigger in the picture, though.

They are good looking chickens. The hens as well as the roosters. Light brown, dark brown, buff, white, etc. They all look good. I'm planning on Leghorns next year if I can find someone reputable.

 

[Bullitt]

They are good looking chickens. The hens as well as the roosters. Light brown, dark brown, buff, white, etc. They all look good. I'm planning on Leghorns next year if I can find someone reputable.

I do not know if you want them for breeding. If not, Ideal Poultry has a handful of varieties of Leghorns.

 

[Michael Apple]

I do not know if you want them for breeding. If not, Ideal Poultry has a handful of varieties of Leghorns.

I had a bad experience with Golden Comets from Ideal a few years ago and won't buy any more of their birds. From neurological problems to deformations in the vent/cloaca of some of the birds, I don't want to deal with stock like that.

 

[Bullitt]

I had a bad experience with Golden Comets from Ideal a few years ago and won't buy any more of their birds. From neurological problems to deformations in the vent/cloaca of some of the birds, I don't want to deal with stock like that.

Yeah, that's not good.

Do you plan to breed them? Maybe you can find a California breeder.

 

[Bullitt]

Something I can't figure out is that the California Gray was bred to be a dual-purpose breed that was larger than the Leghorn.

But what I have read shows that the California Gray is about the same size as the standards for the Leghorn. Something has changed since the 1920s. The most logical explanation would be that California Grays are bred smaller now than they were in the 1920s and 1930s.

 

[Michael Apple]

I'll probably meet some at the next poultry show in January or through the American Brown Leghorn Club. Either that, or see what Privett has. I've always had healthy chicks from them.

 

[Bullitt]

I'll probably meet some at the next poultry show in January or through the American Brown Leghorn Club. Either that, or see what Privett has. I've always had healthy chicks from them.

I see Privett has several varieties of Leghorns. Silver Leghorns are nice looking.

I was looking at Privett Hatchery's website. I see they have California Gray and Barred Leghorn. They have the same hen pictured for both breeds.

I checked with the American Poultry Association website. Single Comb Barred Leghorns were recognized by the APA in 1995. Now I see that the California Gray will never be recognized by the APA, because they look like Barred Leghorns. They probably are the same breed. (Please tell me if I am wrong.) Either way, they at least look very similar.

It's like the APA recognized the White Java back in the 1940s, I believe, and then removed it, because the White Java looks just like the White Plymouth Rock. The funny thing is that the Java is one of the parent breeds for Plymouth Rock.

I think we have the same situation here. California Gray was created, and then the breed was recognized by the APA under a different name. At least it appears that way.

It's a crazy world.

 

[Bill Matthews]

TO Bullitt and Michael Apple.....There seems to be some confusion here about the California Greys.....First, the male picture IS DEFINITELY a CG and NOT a Barred Rock: Look at the white earlobes and the body type......Also, Barred Leghorns and California Greys are not the same breed......Dr Horace Dryden at Oregon State Ag College developed the California Greys starting over 100 years ago with Barred Rock and White Leghorn stocks....Dr Dryden was a poultry breeding genius and helped found Dryden Farms in California...He was mainly interested in commercial egg laying strains and focused his work on White Leghorns and Barred Rocks....Haven't seen much info to indicate that the original intent was to develop a dual purpose breed..I could be wrong on this,admittedly.....Back then even White Leghorns were much larger and used for fryers....The old poultry magazines are full of ads touting Large Type English White Leghorns....Thanks for bringing this topic up...It's always interesting to read the posts that are serious and not just OOH OOGH HOW CUTE YOUR CHICKEN IS..And WHAT IS HER HIS NAME!...Take care Always.