California Gray Chicken

     The California Gray is a relatively rare American breed of Chickens, which got developed firstly in the U.S. state of California, and hence comes the name. The development process involved crossing a barred Plymouth Rock rooster with a white Leghorn hen. The California Gray is an auto-sexing chicken breed, meaning that male and female chicks will hatch in different colors. As very young male chicks are of a lighter color than that of the females.

     The California Gray is a dual-purpose fowl that is a high producer of white eggs and meat. The bird is heavier than the Leghorn but not as large as the Plymouth Rock. California Grays have relatively large single combs and wattles, small white earlobes, and bright-yellow legs. The hens are prolific layers of white eggs (they may lay up to 300 eggs per year of weight 58 g per each), but they rarely go broody.

     The California Gray is a hardy, friendly and less flighty chicken, suitable for both; free-range and confinement rearing. It is only available in a single color-variety; in which males are barred in light gray and white. While, female Grays are barred in dark gray (almost black) and white.

     California Gray roosters are usually crossed with white Leghorn hens to produce the ‘California White’. The California White is a commercial Sex-link hybrid which is known as a hardy breed and an excellent white egg layer. And it’s similar to the California Gray in appearance, but with a purely white plumage with few black feathers instead.