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Ixworth chicken
British breed of chicken From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Ixworth is a British breed of white domestic chicken. It is named for the village of Ixworth in Suffolk, where it was created in 1932.[7] It was bred as fast-growing high-quality meat breed with reasonable laying abilities.[4]: 153
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History
The Ixworth was created in 1932 by Reginald Appleyard, who also created the Silver Appleyard Duck, at his poultry farm in the village of Ixworth in Suffolk.[7] It was bred from white Sussex, white Minorca, white Orpington and several variants of Indian Game,[5]: 140 with the intention of creating a dual-purpose breed, a fast-growing high-quality meat bird with reasonable egg-laying ability.[4]: 153 An Ixworth bantam was created in 1938; Appleyard thought it better than the standard-sized bird.[5]: 140
In the 1970s the Ixworth almost disappeared; it has since gradually recovered. It is a rare breed: in 2007 it was listed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as "endangered-maintained".[1]: 123 In 2008 it was listed as "Category 2: endangered" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust,[8] and in 2014 was on the Trust's list of native poultry breeds at risk.[2]
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Characteristics
The plumage of the Ixworth is pure white. The comb is of pea type; it and the face, earlobes and wattles are brilliant red. The eyes are bright orange or red. The beak, shanks, feet, skin and flesh are all white.[5]: 140
In a comparative study conducted at the Roslin Institute in 2003, Ixworth hens were found to reach a live weight of 4.03 kg at 55 weeks, and to lay on average 0.74 eggs per day, with an average egg weight of 61.0 g.[8][9]: 366
The meat commands premium prices.[8]
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References
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