Kilchoan Rare Breeds

From Tom Bryson

In 1938 Reginald Appleyard, a Suffolk poultry breeder, won the “Best New Breed” trophy at the London Dairy Show. His Ixworth poultry laid 250 eggs a year and were excellent table birds. These dual purpose “utility” hens were popular with farmers, smallholders and domestic poultry keepers but were soon superseded by specialist hybrid strains from N. America for intensive egg production and broiler chicken. The Ixworth came near to extinction but we now have some survivors here in Ardnamurchan and are busy hatching eggs bought from all over the UK - Wales, Essex, Norfolk and N. Ireland. And they're spreading: Richard O Connor has nine, Jamie Santus three and there are two genetically separate strains at Craigard.

“Onan” (he spilled his seed!) was the patriarch (see pic) but now, having done his job with the first generation, he's oven ready in Stella Cash’s freezer waiting to take part in a consumer test. You might think that Dave Cash will eat anything but these are truly gourmet fowls.

If you want to keep a few hens at home these are the breed for you. They are out in all weather (except last Monday’s force 9 gale), each hen will give you 4 or 5 eggs a week, and after two or three years they make “Coq au Vin”. Although they only come in one colour, white, they are very attractive and the cockerels are magnificent; they weigh in at over four kilos when mature so don’t annoy them.

If you are keen on sustainability the ecological footprint of a hen that lays eggs and is then eaten is much smaller that that of a specialist egg layer or broiler, so keep Ixworths and contribute to saving the planet.

Onan has been replaced by Norfolk Boy whose parents were champions at the Norfolk Poultry Show in 2009. He is now with six unrelated pullets. Another huge cockerel from N. Ireland is running with two of Onan’s daughters. The offspring of these matings will make up two line bred families.

Bresse Gauloise are the French equivalent of the Ixworth. They lay more eggs and grow faster. Also, being French, they have more style - blue legs, white feathers and a large floppy red comb. French rugby fans bring them to international matches and release them into the crowd as a patriotic gesture - they're red, white and blue! Currently there are 12 Bresse Gauloise eggs in our incubator, four from each of three families, and hopefully Bruce Chapple will be collecting three hens in N. Ireland on his way home for Christmas. These birds used to be kept in Britain but there is no record of them being in England, Wales or Scotland now.

Note: the local heron is keeping an eye on progress.