Does anyone have any information on the California Grey Chicken with respect to its history or heritage? Is it a pure breed or a cross from what birds? I am having no luck in obtaining info even from the hatchery that I purchased the birds from. Thanks

-- andrea reimer (kareimer@telusplanet.net), March 03, 2001

Answers

There is an article on this breed in the July/Aug 1996 Countryside, Vol.80 No 4. Don't know if this issue is still available. According to the article, the breed was developed by Dr. Horace Dryden of Modesto, CA in the 1930s, as a "great layer of white eggs, calm temperament, and that will weigh around five pounds live weight. The original parent stock being White Leghorns and Barred Rocks with generations of selection for uniform gray color and high production." Sounds like a good bird from the article. mary

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), March 03, 2001.

Andrea, I'll put up here what I put on the PIE Board:

Picture of a California Grey http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sex-links/CalGreyCklHeld.JPEG

The picture was taken from this page http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Sex-links/BRKSexLink.html

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), March 03, 2001.