Production Black/ California Grey Chicken

[ChickasaurusRex]

There isn't much info about them.... I know they can be autosexed and they breed true even though they are a mix between a barred rock and a leghorn.
Why aren't they recognized as a pure breed? Anyone have these chickens? Do the females have dots on their heads or the males when the hatch?

 

[ChickasaurusRex]

Bump? Anyone?

 

[kfacres]

a sex link, will not breed on.. it's against science, nature, and genetics...

for that matter, any F1, will NEVER breed on consistantely...

It's a matter of
Hh x Hh equals 25% HH, 50% Hh, 25% hh...

will not happen...

 

[Illia]

It will not breed true but will indeed still make perfectly good chickens.

As previously said, Something that is half and half bred to another half and half gives you only 50% chance of what the half and half parents looked like, BUT, you need to cut down that 50% for every gene that was different.


For example, blue x blue = 50% blue, however if they were blue, incomplete laced, half dominant white, and partially columbian, - You'd get less than 16% chance of a chick that is just like its F1 parents.

 

[Cowgirl71]

California Greys are purebreds. They're not F1 hybrids, so they will breed true.

They were bred in the 1930s from crosses of Barred Rocks and White Leghorns. They're sexable by color because all barred/cuckoo birds are sexable by color (males lighter colored, females darker). Both sexes have white dots on their heads when they hatch. If you look up how to sex Barred Rock chicks, the same info applies to these.

Here's some links with info about California Greys:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/CalGray/BRKCalGray.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Gray
http://www.raising-chickens.org/california-gray.html

California Grey rooster x White Leghorn hen = California White, which is sexable at hatch by feather sexing (which is different from a sexlink). In color, they are white with the occasional black feather. This may be the hybrid people are thinking of...

Hope this helps!

 

[ChickasaurusRex]

Thanks!

 

[centrarchid]

Cowgirl71 correct on all points. I have California greys. You can color sex them as chicks but shut barred rocks and domiques out of your mind when doing it. The Calfinornia greys are much lighter.

Rex, I have come to conclusion they are morons that consider only food and sex. Roosters prone to be manfighters and flighty to boot. They mature early and are hard on hens as well. Despite being developed originally for dual purpose, they appear to have been subjected to more selection for egg production based on birds I have. They outcross very well with American dominiques producing something that grows faster than either parent. If egg production even approaches that of pure California greys then something awesome is to be realized.

 

[ChickasaurusRex]

That would be...

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
?

 

[ChickasaurusRex]

Amazing!