The California Gray came out of 1930s California, crossing Barred Plymouth Rocks with White Leghorns to get a Leghorn's laying rate in a calmer, heavier bird. Hens lay 250 to 300 large white eggs a year and wear a barred grey coat that makes them easy to pick out of a mixed flock. Unlike the Leghorns behind them they are steady and simple to handle rather than nervy. Most birds you find today trace to their role as the parent line for the California White hybrid.
Beginner friendly
Good with kids
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Egg colorWhite
Egg production250–300 / year
TemperamentDocile
BroodinessRare
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeEggs
Weight
Hen5–6 lb
Rooster6.5–7.5 lb
How to spot it
Comb
Single
Plumage
Barred grey, which makes it easy to pick out of a mixed flock
Look for
Barred Rock markings on a Leghorn's frame, and far steadier to handle than a Leghorn
Ancestry
How this breed was developed. Historical records, not crosses to make today.
Single
Barred Plymouth Rock
White Leghorn
California White
