Uses: Originally utility – meat and eggs.
Origin: Ixworth, Sussex U.K. Eggs: 160 – 200 tinted.
Weight: Cock: 4.1 Kg. Hen: 3.2 Kg.
Bantam Cock: 1.02 Kg. Hen: 790g.
Colours: White only.
Useful to Know: A large rare breed that is alert and active and still a useful dual purpose bird for eggs or for the table, becoming more popular with smallholders and small-scale producers.
Photo: A male Ixworth Chicken owned by K. Beardsmore.
The Ixworth chicken takes its name from Ixworth in Suffolk where this breed was created by Reginald Appleyard (now famous for Silver Appleyard Ducks) in 1932. The Ixworth was created from White Orpington, White Sussex, White Minorca and various varieties of Indian Game with the intention of creating a white skinned table bird. The Ixworth was standardised in the UK in 1939.
The bantam variety (which we believe have now died out in the U.K) was created after World War II. There is no breed club for the Ixworth and it is the Rare Poultry Society that covers this breed. There are no breed clubs outside of the UK for this breed to our knowledge.
The following books are available. Links take you to the Amazon or other sellers’ pages for the books.
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