Ixworth chicken facts for kids
| Conservation status | RBST: at risk |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Use | dual-purpose |
| Traits | |
| Weight |
|
| Skin colour | white |
| Egg colour | tinted |
| Comb type | pea comb |
| Classification | |
| PCGB | rare soft feather: heavy |
|
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The Ixworth is a special type of white chicken from England. It is named after the village of Ixworth in Suffolk, where it was first created in 1932. People bred this chicken to grow quickly and provide good quality meat, while also laying a good number of eggs.
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History of the Ixworth Chicken
The Ixworth chicken was first created in 1932 by a person named Reginald Appleyard. He was a poultry farmer who lived in the village of Ixworth in Suffolk. Reginald Appleyard also created another famous bird, the Silver Appleyard Duck.
He wanted to create a chicken that was good for two things. It needed to provide tasty meat and lay a good number of eggs. To do this, he mixed several different white chicken breeds. These included the white Sussex, white Minorca, white Orpington, Jubilee, and white Indian Game chickens.
In 1938, a smaller version called an Ixworth bantam was also created. Reginald Appleyard actually thought the bantam was even better than the regular-sized chicken.
Saving the Ixworth Breed
During the 1970s, the Ixworth chicken almost disappeared completely. Luckily, people worked hard to bring it back, and its numbers have slowly grown since then.
Today, the Ixworth is still considered a rare breed. In 2007, a group called the FAO said it was "endangered-maintained." This means it was in danger but people were working to keep it going. By 2014, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust listed it as a native poultry breed "at risk."
What Does an Ixworth Chicken Look Like?
The Ixworth chicken has beautiful pure white feathers. Its comb, face, earlobes, and wattles are a bright red color. Its eyes are a bright orange or red. The beak, legs, feet, skin, and even the flesh are all white.
How Well Do They Grow and Lay Eggs?
In 2003, scientists at the Roslin Institute studied Ixworth hens. They found that these hens could grow to weigh about 4 kilograms (about 8.8 pounds) by the time they were 55 weeks old.
They also found that Ixworth hens laid about three-quarters of an egg each day on average. Each egg weighed about 61 grams (about 2.1 ounces). The meat from Ixworth chickens is known to be very good and can be sold for high prices.
