Killing male one-day-old chicks, especially from layer lines, is banned in some European countries. Therefore, dual-purpose chickens, where each sex is used for meat and egg production, respectively, offer an alternative production solution. This study evaluated the British purebred breed Ixworth as a dual-purpose chicken for meat and egg production. Ixworth chicks (n = 167) were hatched and reared mixed-sex in a floor housing system, with two groups receiving a commercial pullet diet (treatment 1) and two groups receiving a diet composed for males of layer lines (treatment 2). Individual chick performance data were recorded. Males were slaughtered at 12 weeks of age, and their growth rate and carcase variables were analysed. All hens were continuously reared on the pullet diet and kept in a free-range system from 20 weeks old for one laying period (52 weeks). In addition, group-based feed consumption and mortality were recorded. Cockerels in treatment 1 and 2 showed significantly different [T(88) = -2.846, P = 0.003] growth rates (25.3 vs. 27.4 g/day) and average final weights (2166 g vs. 2344 g). The hens in treatment 1 (n = 41) laid an average of 193 eggs per hen housed (mean egg weight: 56.9 g), whereas those in treatment 2 (n = 35) laid 195 eggs per hen housed (mean egg weight: 56.5 g). Nest acceptance was >97.5% and feed consumption was up to 140 g/bird/day. The results showed that the Ixworth may be a suitable breed for dual-purpose use and could be improved through selective breeding, offering potential for preservation of this local breed as well as general biodiversity in poultry farming.

Improving animal welfare is a prerequisite for the societal acceptance of poultry production. Support for improvements requires practical tools to quantify animal welfare and identify predispositions at the individual level, where possible. In this study, the activities and behavior of dual-purpose chickens (N = 245) and commercial breeders (N = 224) were analyzed. The general locomotor activity (GLA) data were collected using an RFID system over five days with 9-to-14-week-old animals. The results show that the animals of comparable age and stocking density differed from each other in their activity (p ≤ 0.001) according to breed, but no sex differences were observed (p = 0.159). No correlations were found between GLA and plumage condition (p > 0.05). The individual variations within the breeds are presented and discussed on an animal-by-animal level, providing new insights into the individual behavioral variability of chickens. The RFID systems can reliably generate GLA data that help to understand the potential interplay between behavior and animal welfare. The technology is also suitable for creating individual (personality) profiles that can be used for breeding. With a better understanding of the role of activity, husbandry and management practices can be adapted to improve animal welfare.

This study explores welfare concerns, with a focus on keel bone fractures (KBF), in the traditional British breed Ixworth, a non-commercial dual-purpose chicken. Although keel bone fractures were lately discussed in the context of high laying performances, 69.2 % of hens exhibited KBF, particularly in the caudal region, challenging the notion that lower-performing breeds are less prone to this issue. The location of these fractures indicates that incomplete bone ossification may play a crucial role. Notably, we found that egg size during critical ossification age (31, 34 and 35 weeks of age (woa)), rather than total egg count, was the primary risk factor for KBF. Beyond KBF, other welfare indicators such as plumage condition and footpad lesions were evaluated. Plumage damage peaked at 50 woa but showed recovery towards the end of the laying period. The prevalence of footpad lesions, however, increased with age, reaching a peak at 70 woa. A moderate correlation between egg production and footpad lesions was identified, suggesting increased laying may exacerbate this issue. Our findings demonstrate that traditional breeds like the Ixworth might also show welfare problems, including KBF and footpad lesions. These results emphasize that reduced productivity does not necessarily mitigate welfare risks. Instead, risk factors like egg size and bone development should be considered in future research and breeding. Expanding this investigation to other breeds could further enhance our understanding of welfare challenges in alternative poultry systems.