California Greys???

[ClintD]

Sorry, I meant lighter in color?

 

[Michael Apple]

Sorry, I meant lighter in color?

Yes, they are lighter in color than pullets.

 

[free burd]

I ordered some barred leghorn pullets from Privett and they look more like the California Greys to me. Is there any real difference since they are all hatchery birds?

last year they where selling their cal greys under the name production black as well, using the same photo for both.
this year they changed it to barred legrn using the same photo. the only thing i am sure that they really have is the cal grey because of
oldtime' on this thread, he would know. if they are calm, and i mean calm enough for little children to handle, they are cal grey
and they don't really have barred legrns.

btw - production blacks are a completely different bird offered by Ideal hatchery in texas - and i have been unable to get a straight answer
from ideal on what the difference is. as for barred legrn - i don't know if there is such a bird - i haven't seen one offered by anyone else.

they should be REALLY good birds flyingpoo, i hope you keep them.

robert braun [email protected]

edited to clarify - they really do have cal greys. the real deal.
and pure original lines - the last 2 well known lines in the country.
so, as for 'just hatchery birds' these go all the way back to
professor dryden. - also, i have seen golden campine and
gold seabright in backyard flocks from privett that where
far far superior to the same breeds at a professional show.
so they are doing something right.
i don't know why they fudge on the barred legrn thing.

 

[free burd]

it would be nice to know from everyone here how well they feel the cal grey forages - i have been unable to find information on this
and first hand testimony is better than any other source.

compare their ability to another well known breed recognized for foraging if you could.
(ee, rir, welsumer, jaerhon, etc)
or where they fit in the mixed flock for their 'first out-last back' to the coop position - or forage out the farthest from the coop compared to others.

i'll listen to anything you have to offer, thank you.

robert braun [email protected]

 

[Michael Apple]

it would be nice to know from everyone here how well they feel the cal grey forages - i have been unable to find information on this
and first hand testimony is better than any other source.

compare their ability to another well known breed recognized for foraging if you could.
(ee, rir, welsumer, jaerhon, etc)
or where they fit in the mixed flock for their 'first out-last back' to the coop position - or forage out the farthest from the coop compared to others.

i'll listen to anything you have to offer, thank you.

robert braun [email protected]

From what I see at 6 weeks, they are very active birds. This is my first year with this breed and they behave much like Leghorns so far. They tend to panic and corner pile in the coop during the night time shut in. I've taken to putting a low wattage blue light so they don't panic so much at shut in time. During the day, they easily jump at sudden noises, but are quite friendly when I am in the pen among them. I have to talk gently and let them know I'm coming as I enter the area to avoid excitability.

I don't like mixing Leghorns with Rocks or Wyandottes based upon the past. They get picked on or become notorious pickers themselves with not much compromise in between. They are not a very large bird, according to what I've read, with the hens around 4 lbs. and the roosters are supposed to be about 5 lbs. If these CA Greys are more like Leghorns as adults, I will probably do some wing clipping and make sure nesting areas are very dark to avoid egg eating. I'll post more about my experiences with them as they grow.

 

[free burd]

Michael Apple thank you.

that was quite unexpected. a woman out west has tried to convince me to get the 'grey over the jaerhon
because they are so calm...an account on another thread said that the cal whites where the calmest of his
lightweight layers including austra white. so it's the only notion i have that they are calm as dryden intended.

i am grateful for your experience - if i do try them i will be sure to handle them daily from birth to ensure
some stable/secure behavior - the woman out west also said she was unaware of them ever flying...
i do wish hatcheries would settle on honest comprehensive breed descriptions - it takes months to
figure out what i might actually be getting and i have to bother people like you for trustworthy accounts...
it shouldnt be that way.
i don't want to kill/cull and my land is to small to 'try' a lot of breeds, i have to get it right the first time.

everyone interested in this thrifty bird will appreciate your first hand accounts.
WE ARE IT. (this thread) as fare as promoting this seemingly under rated breed.
so thank you for the clearly written account. i'll look out for your future posts.

i wonder what others think of this 'not calm' 'grey situation...

robert braun [email protected]

so by very active, i will assume that they forage as well as a legrn.

have you tried playing a radio in their coop ?

 

[Michael Apple]

You're welcome, Robert. I find this breed to be very attractive despite what I described. You must also understand I've been a Rock, Dominique, and Wyandotte man most of my life, so I am bound to see these Ca Greys as spastic. They really are quite curious and come right up to me in the pen. As we all know, feed is a great attractant. I just think there is a great lack of information regarding certain breeds, and new people to chickens often don't do enough research on breeds before they go buy a lot of chicks. Leghorn type breeds will corner pile if in a state of fear, so preventing injuries is important during the transition from brooder to grow-off pen. Familiarizing them with routine takes awhile too. It takes patience and plenty of space for them.They need a calm environment. Unfortunately I have 6 cockerels that are going out for meat price soon. That was the hatchery's mistake, which they are making good on by sending me some more pullets. They are all stout, healthy cockerels too.

 

[Michael Apple]

Update:
I have found a taker at Western Farm Center in Santa Rosa, CA. The six, six week old cockerels will be there tomorrow morning if any local people are interested. I thought it would be a shame to cull such stout, healthy birds raised well.

 

[Michael Apple]

Ca Grey pullets on week 6:

 

[critch01]

I got a single pullet chick that was labelled as a California Grey Leghorn. Impulse buy, never had heard of the breed before and once I looked it up, I realized I must have a California White, as she was a yellow chick and has feathered out white. She is my favorite one out of a mix of Wyandottes, Barred Rocks, Orpingtons and Amberlinks. So far (they are about 10 weeks old now) very calm and about the same size as the Amberlinks, she does have the leghorn style tail feathers. I named her "Bomber" because she's so right there ALL THE TIME that she ends up in every photo I take. This is the one in particular that prompted the name.