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Ixworth Chicken Breed Info

Modified: Feb 6, 2023 by Phil · This post may contain affiliate links ·

The Ixworth chicken breed is a large, rare bird hailing from the UK. They are a solid dual-purpose breed used for both egg and meat production. They are gaining popularity with small-scale chicken producers and homesteaders.

An adorable Ixworth chicken in a backyard pasture.
Image source: Instagram

Ixworth hens will lay a good amount of medium-sized, tinted eggs, and males can be used for meat production. However, these birds are slow-growing as a heritage breed and often take more than 16 weeks to reach market weight.

Jump to:
  • Ixworth Chicken Breed Quick Info
  • Origins of the Ixworth Chicken
  • Some Things to Know About the Ixworth Chicken
  • How Easy is it to Keep Ixworth Chickens?
  • Special Care and Considerations for Ixworth Chickens
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Ixworth Chicken Breed Quick Info

Ixworth Chicken Description

Ixworth Type/Size:Standard
Feather Color:White
Leg Type:Clean
Leg Color:White
Skin Color:White
Ixworth Ease of Raising/Keeping:Easy
Ixworth Special Care Needs:No
Is the Ixworth breed a common, rare, or protected breed of chicken?Rare, “risk” status

Ixworth Use

MeatYes
EggsYes
Dual PurposeYes
Ixworth Temperament:Friendly, active
Ixworth Ability/Likelihood to Free Range:Yes

Ixworth Egg Production

Egg ColorCream
Egg SizeMedium
Estimated Number of Eggs Per Year160-200
Likeliness to Brood Eggs/Raise ChicksMedium

Ixworth Meat Production

Dressed Weight Male7 ¾ lbs.
Dressed Weight Female6 lbs.

Ixworth Climate Tolerance

HeatGood
ColdExcellent

Ixworth Age to Maturity

Number of Months to Reach Full Size6 Months
Number of Months to Start Egg Laying6 Months
Number of Weeks/Months to Reach Meat Harvest Size16+ Weeks

Ixworth Size at Maturity

Male9 lbs.
Female7 lbs.

Origins of the Ixworth Chicken

A big tall Ixworth rooster in a backyard.
Image source: Instagram

This heritage breed originated in Ixworth in Suffolk, England, a town which they are named after. A man by the name of Reginald Appleyard is credited with creating this breed in 1932.

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He crossed the White Orpington, White Minorca, White Sussex, and various Indian Game birds in an attempt to create a white-skinned bird that was ideal for meat production. Just a few years later, by 1939, the breed was standardized in the UK.

In the 1970s, they nearly went extinct due to the rise of the Cornish Cross. Today, they remain a rare breed and are very difficult to find outside of the UK.

Some Things to Know About the Ixworth Chicken

A broody white Ixworth chicken on a straw.
Image source: Instagram

The Ixworth chicken has bright white plumage. They have a pea comb and barely-noticeable wattles. The original English version has white skin, but some breeders also offer yellow-skinned Ixworths to cater to the North American market.

The Ixworth boasts a bright red face, wattles, and earlobes. Their legs and beak match their white skin. When it comes to their frame, they are fairly large, deep-bodied, and heavy, and their tail is held lower to the ground than other breeds.

How Easy is it to Keep Ixworth Chickens?

Two Ixworth roosters and an Ixworth hen with another type of rooster in a backyard.

The Ixworth chicken breed is easy to care for, hardy, and not prone to any health issues. These birds are alert and active. They are ideal for colder climates, as they are very cold hardy due to their small comb and wattles.

They are ideal free-range birds and are excellent foragers. This has contributed to their growing popularity among homesteaders and small-scale chicken farmers.

The Ixworth chicken breed’s temperament is mild and friendly. Both hens and roosters are known to be non-aggressive and get along well with other chickens.

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Special Care and Considerations for Ixworth Chickens

Because of their sweet, gentle nature, Ixworth chickens do best in a flock with other non-aggressive chickens, like the Polish or Cochin.

Ixworth Chicken Breed Info pinterest image.

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