California Gray

California Gray Chicken

The California Gray is a breed of 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 suitable for meat production and laid large white eggs. By crossing Barred Plymouth Rocks and White Leghorns,
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. They were later used to develop the California White, a commercial hybrid.