California Greys???

[Bullitt]

It's more for variety. I sell and barter with my extra eggs and a number of folks I sell to enjoy having a colorful carton of eggs. It's not a money maker but it helps offset the cost of feed. I find that most white egg layers are too flighty for my taste so I want to see how the CG does.

The California Gray is a great choice for white eggs. They lay almost as well as White Leghorns but are calmer birds.

The California White, which is a hybrid, is a cross produced from a California Gray rooster and a White Leghorn hen. The California White is widely available.

The Holland, also called the Barred Holland, is another dual-purpose chicken breed that lays white eggs.

It is interesting that in the past, like before World War II, white eggs were considered more desirable because white eggs were believed to have a finer taste and white was seen as being cleaner. But now white eggs are often associated with commercial eggs. So many people think of brown eggs as being fresh from the farm. The truth is the only difference between white and brown eggs is the color of the shell.

 

[PineTopFarm]

The California Gray is a great choice for white eggs. They lay almost as well as White Leghorns but are calmer birds.

The California White, which is a hybrid, is a cross produced from a California Gray rooster and a White Leghorn hen. The California White is widely available.

The Holland, also called the Barred Holland, is another dual-purpose chicken breed that lays white eggs.

It is interesting that in the past, like before World War II, white eggs were considered more desirable because white eggs were believed to have a finer taste and white was seen as being cleaner. But now white eggs are often associated with commercial eggs. So many people think of brown eggs as being fresh from the farm. The truth is the only difference between white and brown eggs is the color of the shell.

I considered the Barred Holland but from what I read they don't lay well. At least they can't compete with they Leghorn or CG.
Since there isn't an SOP for the CG I'm going to play with them a little. I'm going to make sex links with my blue egg layers and I'm going to try to make a crele version. I'll use the Brown Leghorn and Partridge Rock so that I stay within the original cross that created the CG. I'll also keep some to breed true to what I get from Privett.

 

[tommysgirl]

A blue boy should make blue sex links for you. No clue about the other combos. I get a nice black sex link from mine. My rooster is a New Hampshire and the chicks are either jet black with a head spot or black with a red head.

 

[Melabella]

Hello all!

I was thinking of adding some of these to my flock as I need some white egg layers. This breed was suggested to me as a calmer alternative than most white egg layers, and also for productivity. I intend to keep them in my two different flocks, one with an Ameraucana black/lav split roo, and the other with my Swedish Flower hen flock as the Swedish flower hens are the only brown egg layers I want in the pen, so I can rest assured that every brown egg laid in that coop/run are SFH. My question to you who are well informed on the genetics of this breed is... Will crossing the CG with my Ameraucana produce sex linked offspring as when I cross my Barred rocks with him? When my chicks from this mating hatch, the solid black chicks are female, and the stripped ones have been male. Will the same happen with these?

Secondly, does anyone cross these CG with any other breeds? Just curious to what the results may be?


Thank you for any information in advance

Have a great day all!

MB

 

[tommysgirl]

Hello all!

I was thinking of adding some of these to my flock as I need some white egg layers. This breed was suggested to me as a calmer alternative than most white egg layers, and also for productivity. I intend to keep them in my two different flocks, one with an Ameraucana black/lav split roo, and the other with my Swedish Flower hen flock as the Swedish flower hens are the only brown egg layers I want in the pen, so I can rest assured that every brown egg laid in that coop/run are SFH. My question to you who are well informed on the genetics of this breed is... Will crossing the CG with my Ameraucana produce sex linked offspring as when I cross my Barred rocks with him? When my chicks from this mating hatch, the solid black chicks are female, and the stripped ones have been male. Will the same happen with these?

Secondly, does anyone cross these CG with any other breeds? Just curious to what the results may be?


Thank you for any information in advance

Have a great day all!

MB

Hi so glad we have another convert to the breed. to answer your question yes, The CG should make a lovely sexlink when crossed with your AM. I have crossed mine with both a Delaware and New Hampshire. The Del cross produces a either a solid black girl or a solid black boy with a head spot. The NH cross produces a solid black boy with a head spot or a black girl with a red head.

Good Luck and when you get those Blue SL chicks please share pictures.

 

[tommysgirl]

if the little blonde chick is 12:00 and the food dish is a clock, 1:00 and 9:00 are BSL Boys from Del over CG mating 6 and 11:00 are pullets NH over CG




Foreground NH over CG pullet
Back Left NH over CG cockerel

 

[Melabella]

Hi so glad we have another convert to the breed. to answer your question yes, The CG should make a lovely sexlink when crossed with your AM. I have crossed mine with both a Delaware and New Hampshire. The Del cross produces a either a solid black girl or a solid black boy with a head spot. The NH cross produces a solid black boy with a head spot or a black girl with a red head.

Good Luck and when you get those Blue SL chicks please share pictures.

Awesomeness! Thank you for the info, and timely response. Now, just have to find a hatchery that carries them. I know Cackle,and Pritchard,,(sp?) do, but seem to be completely sold out for this year. Would love to get my hands on some as they would grow out through the winter, and be up and running in the spring....

Are they themselves easy to sex as chicks? Notice they are sold as straight run everywhere. Probably not?

 

[Melabella]

if the little blonde chick is 12:00 and the food dish is a clock, 1:00 and 9:00 are BSL Boys from Del over CG mating 6 and 11:00 are pullets NH over CG




Foreground NH over CG pullet
Back Left NH over CG cockerel

Thank you TG, wonderful information and pictures. Do you have any egg pics, and do you like their productivity?

MB

 

[Melabella]

Question...

Does anyone here sell fertile pure hatching eggs for this breed? I'm curious...

Thanks,
MB

 

[tommysgirl]

Awesomeness! Thank you for the info, and timely response. Now, just have to find a hatchery that carries them. I know Cackle,and Pritchard,,(sp?) do, but seem to be completely sold out for this year. Would love to get my hands on some as they would grow out through the winter, and be up and running in the spring....

Are they themselves easy to sex as chicks? Notice they are sold as straight run everywhere. Probably not?

No problem! Yes they are fairly easy to feather sex within a week or so. The pullets are noticeably darker than the cockerels according to @Michael Apple who is working with the breed here in Northern CA. Of course there is always the sneaky dark cockerel...I sold one from Privett to a friend as a pullet and she turned out to be a he. I don't know about the CGs from Cackle but Privett has the original Dryden line so I would go with them

Thank you TG, wonderful information and pictures. Do you have any egg pics, and do you like their productivity?

MB

My girl has been laying a little over a year and her eggs are XL and bright white. She lays about 10 or days in a row before taking a break then she is back at it. She lets me pick her up will hop on my lap if I have treats and is all around a great back yard girl. I am hoping to hatch more but getting eggs is difficult. Plus I use broodies so am at the whim of their hormones for hatching.

Question...

Does anyone here sell fertile pure hatching eggs for this breed? I'm curious...

Thanks,
MB

If you find someone please let us all know.