California whites?

[Bammony]

I bought two california white hens yesterday (like i needed more chickens). Those are two VERY large birds! I have fallen in love with them! I want to cross my white laced red cornish roo on them to see if I can get some nice sized meat birds.

Does anyone know anything about this breed of bird? Anything at all. All I know is that they are huge and they lay LARGE tinted eggs.

 

[digitS']

My very limited knowledge is that the California White is a feather-sexed hybrid of CA Gray & Leghorns.

James Dryden, from what is now Oregon State University, developed strains of Leghorn/Barred Rocks. One of his hens was the 1st to lay 300 eggs in a year. Another was the 1st to lay 1,000 over a lifetime.

He moved his breeding operation to Modesto (I believe it was) during the early part of the 20th century. There he begin selling the California Gray pullets. Part of his idea was to provide a more robust hen laying white eggs.

I see that the hatcheries sometimes call the sire of CA Whites a "Production Black." I can only assume that they are just using a Leghorn/Barred Rock strain about the same as Dryden did. Either that, or they are giving another name to the CA Gray.

I suppose that may fit your definition of knowing "anything at all" - I'm sorry I don't know more. For instance, I don't know how variable a cross with CA Whites would be. It may be rather extreme since they are a hybrid.

Steve

 

[paduanchook]

ive been raising cali whites for a year now and i like them. although they look similar to my leghorns they do have a different personality. mine are not so flighty as my leghorns, very curious and not jumpy/nervous as my leghorns. matter of fact, they follow me around the yard and when im in the pen they are always somewhere close by. They eat out of my hands,
i have crossed them with my ee rooster and the ALL look just like the cali white.
If u like white eggs, they are a good choice im ny opinion, but boring to look at

 

[Mahonri]

I have a hen that is a cross between a CA white and a porcelain d'uccle.

She doesn't let anyone boss her around... looks more leghorn than anything else and lays a nice whitish/creamish colored egg.

Here she is:

 

[wwmicasa1]

Quote:
I totally agree with your view on Cal Whites. I have 10 hens & they are awesome in their egg laying & friendly.

Did you keep any chicks from your Cal White x EE?? If so, what color eggs did the pullets lay? I also have just put my EE Roo in with my girls & will start collecting the eggs next week for incubation.

All my EE girls lay consistant, ex-large eggs & beautiful blue in color. I'm hoping to get pullets from this cross that will have good production & it would be a plus if some of them laid blue eggs.

Let me know how your cross went. Thanks!!!