The California White: The Hybrid Egg Layer
The California White Chicken is primarily an egg laying breed. They are a cross between a White Leghorn hen and a California Grey Rooster (aka Production Black).
They are considered a commercial hybrid. They grow fast and hens may lay about 300 big white eggs per year. They are a hardy chicken that may exceed the White Leghorn in laying ability and longevity.
California White, The Facts:
Class: Heavy
Size: Standard Male: 7 Ibs. / Standard Female: 5.5 Ibs. There is no known Bantam version.
Comb, Wattles & Earlobes: Red
Color: Adults have mainly solid white feathers but with flecks of black. Young chicks are mostly black.
Place of Origin: California
Conservation Status: Not An APA recognized breed, so no conservation status.
Special Qualities: This breed is known for its hybrid vigor, bringing the best of two breeds to the table.
The White Leghorn is dominant in the development of it's California brethren and is the preferred white egg laying hen in most commercial egg production factories.
The Barred Plymouth has added size to the breed. This breed being a long established American breed from the 19th century, known for its hardiness, docility, broodiness, and reliable production of both eggs and meat.
The resulting California Grey rooster bred back to a White Leghorn hen comes full circle in doubling up on long successful Leghorn genes. This breed is often available from commercial hatcheries.
Unlike the more noisy and flighty Leghorn, this breed is known as a quiet breed, easy to handle, hardy and a good winter egg layer, even in cold climates. They do well in small and medium flocks, in free-range or confinement.
The breed was never admitted into the APA, being a crossed breed.
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