Other names production black APA not listed Egg production (annual) 300 Temperament Quiet Origin California | Country of origin United States Primary use dual-purpose meat/eggs Egg size Large Egg color White | |
 | ||
Weight Male: 2.5 kg (5.5 lb)
Female: 2.0 kg (4.4 lb) Similar Iowa Blue, Rhode Island White, Norfolk Grey, Marsh Daisy chicken, Scots Dumpy | ||
California gray chicken enlarged view
The California Gray is an American breed of domestic chicken developed in the U.S. state of California in the 1930s by James Dryden, a professor of poultry science at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University. The objective of the breed's creator was to produce a dual-purpose chicken that was both suitable for meat production and laid large white eggs. By crossing a Barred Plymouth Rock rooster and a White Leghorn hen, a naturally autosexing breed with gray barred plumage (as adults) was produced. Largely because the breed was never recognized officially for exhibition by the American Poultry Association, California Grays are a rare breed in the 21st century. It is not listed on the conservation priority list of the Livestock Conservancy.
The California Gray not sought by the commercial factory egg producers since it is too large for battery cages. California Gray cocks are crossed with White Leghorn hens to produce the California White commercial sex-link hybrid, and may be known as "production black".