The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Fowlman on August 14, 2014, 04:42:45 pm

Title: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: Fowlman on August 14, 2014, 04:42:45 pm

Just wondering if there are any Ixworth keepers out there ? As keepers of a rare breed and a worth while one in my opinion it's good to keep in touch for obvious reasons widening the gene pool etc. It's a breed often over looked for some reason and the only reason i can think of is because it's all white.

Title: Re: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: Dave C on August 14, 2014, 05:22:48 pm

I have a few hens left from a hatch 2 years ago they lay very well  :trophy: reared the cocks for the table
Was going to keep one back for breeding but i must admit it was the colour and the pea comb which put me off.

Title: Re: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: hughesy on August 14, 2014, 07:14:22 pm

We've also got a couple of hens left from a breeding flock that I played about with a few years ago. I started with them as I liked the idea of a reasonable meat bird and a decent layer from the same breed but to be honest they were a bit of a dissapointment in both departments, hence I stopped breeding them.

Title: Re: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: Fowlman on August 14, 2014, 08:04:46 pm

Compared to the meat hybrids they are slow growing and not for everyone.

Title: Re: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: Stereo on August 15, 2014, 02:06:03 pm

I've just started a flock for breeding but don't really know what I've got yet. I've hatched 20 or so from 2 different breeders and have just put in another 6 eggs from another guy to try and get a decent cockerel. But I don't think I'll know what standard they are for a while. The eldest 6 are 16 weeks and I'm struggling to tell which are hens! One is a definite cockerel but the rest are pretty much alike, unless I've been lucky with that hatch.

Have you got any links to a breed standard guide at all? My longer term plan is to breed the meatiest cockerels as I suspect that some of the size has been lost over the years.

Title: Re: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: Fowlman on August 15, 2014, 04:52:44 pm

I'll try and dig out a standard stereo.  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: Fowlman on August 15, 2014, 06:28:46 pm

http://ixworths.org.uk/breedstandard.html (http://ixworths.org.uk/breedstandard.html)

Title: Re: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: Stereo on August 15, 2014, 09:22:40 pm

Thanks for that. The key for me will be weight I think. It says there 3.8kg for a cockerel. Anyone know what carcass that would leave you with once processed? I've read 75% of the whole bird so that would be a decent 3kg carcass. Our best RIR and Marans weighed in at 2.2kg and there was plenty of meat on those.

Title: Re: Any Ixworth keepers ?
Post by: Fowlman on August 15, 2014, 09:31:32 pm

Ye roughly 75% stereo i would say. 8-9lb is average for an Ixworth cockerel.