Pure Heritage Chickens for Sale in Great Missenden, Bucks
Pure Heritage Chickens – Utility Ixworth, Light Sussex & Blue Legbars
Pure heritage utility chickens for sale in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. Ixworth, Light Sussex & Blue Layer Auto-Sexing Legbars. Hatched & raised on pasture with organic feed. POL from £40, chicks £4.
Our Heritage Chickens – Raised with Care
At Moon Herbs Smallholding, we are passionate about preserving Britain’s pure heritage poultry breeds. We specialise in three exceptional utility breeds: the Utility Ixworth, Utility Light Sussex, and Blue Layer Auto-Sexing Legbar.
What makes our birds different?
Every chicken we sell is hatched right here on our farm in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. We don’t buy in point-of-lay pullets or chicks from unknown sources—we control every stage of their development.
Our welfare standards go far beyond the ordinary:
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Pasture-raised with mobile coops – Our birds are moved regularly onto fresh pasture, giving them constant access to grass, insects, and sunshine. This is how chickens are meant to live.
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Organic feed – We feed a certified organic ration, free from GM ingredients and artificial additives.
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Herbal supplements & apple cider vinegar – Added to drinking water to support natural immunity, digestion, and overall vitality.
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Low-stress environment – Our birds enjoy plenty of space, fresh air, and the freedom to express natural behaviours like foraging, dust-bathing, and perching.
The result? Healthy, robust birds with excellent egg production, superior table quality, and temperaments that make them a joy to keep.
Our breeds are pure, not hybrid. Unlike commercial hybrid birds bred solely for maximum egg output at the expense of longevity and health, our heritage breeds are genetically diverse, hardy, and long-lived. They breed true—meaning you can hatch their eggs and get chicks that look and perform just like their parents.
⚠️ A word of caution: Be wary of cheap “heritage” or “pure breed” birds offered for sale that are actually imported hybrids or poor-quality crossbreeds. Many of these birds do not breed true, lack the genetic vigour of genuine pure strains, and often come with unknown health and welfare backgrounds. When you buy from us, you buy pure, British-bred stock with full traceability back to our own breeding programme.
Utility Ixworth
History & Origin
The Ixworth is a true British success story. It was created in 1932 by Reginald Appleyard at his poultry farm in the Suffolk village of Ixworth—the village of his birth. Appleyard’s goal was to produce a top-quality, fast-maturing table bird that would also lay well, avoiding the utility problems associated with other breeds of the time.
The breed was launched at the 1938 London Dairy Show and quickly gained a reputation for excellence. Breeds used in its creation included White Sussex, White Orpington, White Minorca, White Old English Game, Jubilee and Dark Indian Game.
The Ixworth nearly disappeared between 1950 and 1970 as faster-growing hybrid broilers took over. Today, it remains a rare breed—classified as “at risk” by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST)—with only a handful of dedicated breeders keeping the line alive.
Characteristics
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Appearance: Pure white plumage, white legs with a pinkish tinge, orange eyes, and a red pea comb. Deep-bodied, medium to large frame.
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Utility: A genuine dual-purpose bird. Hens produce approximately 150–180 medium-sized white/cream eggs per year.
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Meat quality: Some say the Ixworth provides the best quality meat of any pure breed.
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Genetically distinct: Recent genomic studies confirm the Ixworth is genetically unique, with moderate diversity and low inbreeding—a vital reservoir of poultry biodiversity.
Why choose our Ixworth? Our birds are pure utility-strain Ixworth, bred for performance, not just show. They are active foragers, ideal for free-range and organic systems.
Pricing: Point of Lay (POL) hens: £40 | Chicks: £4
Utility Light Sussex
History & Origin
The Sussex is one of Britain’s oldest chicken breeds, with roots dating back to the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43. For centuries, Sussex chickens were prized as table birds in the south-eastern counties of England.
The Light Sussex variety became the most popular of the Sussex colours. More recently, the Light Sussex was highly regarded in the laying trials of the 1930s, cementing its reputation as a true utility breed.
Unlike exhibition strains bred for looks rather than productivity, utility Light Sussex have been selected for practical performance—good egg numbers, efficient feed conversion, and excellent table quality. A Sussex breed club was formed as early as 1903.
Characteristics
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Appearance: White body with a striking black tail and black wing tips. The neck is white with black striping; each neck hackle feather is black with a fine white lace edge.
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Temperament: Alert, docile, friendly, and adaptable to free-range or confined systems.
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Utility: Excellent dual-purpose breed. Hens produce approximately 170–200 cream/tinted medium to large eggs per year (some strains can reach 240–260).
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Meat: Makes an exceptional table bird, usable size by 20–25 weeks. The slower growth compared to commercial hybrids allows the meat to develop proper flavour.
Why choose our Light Sussex? Our breeding stock originates from top utility lines, including birds from legendary breeder Nick Smith’s flock. These are working birds, not show birds—bred for the qualities that matter to smallholders and backyard keepers.
Pricing: Point of Lay (POL) hens: £40 | Chicks: £4
Blue Layer Auto-Sexing Legbar
History & Origin
The Legbar is a remarkable British innovation—the second auto-sexing chicken breed ever created. It was developed in the early twentieth century by Professor Reginald Crundall Punnett and Michael Pease at the Genetical Institute of Cambridge University.
The Cream Legbar variety—our Blue Layer—was developed by Michael Pease in 1939 through careful crossing of Gold Legbars with White Leghorns, then further crossed with Cream Araucanas in 1940 to introduce the crest and the blue egg gene.
The Cream Legbar was introduced to the world at the London Dairy Show in 1947 and received its written standard from the Poultry Club of Great Britain in 1958. It nearly died out in the 1970s when blue eggs fell out of fashion, but today it is enjoying a well-deserved revival.
Characteristics
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Appearance: Cream-coloured plumage with a distinctive small crest on the head.
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Auto-sexing: Chicks can be sexed at hatch by down colour—males are lighter brown with a bleached spot on the head; females are darker with darker stripes down the back.
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Eggs: Lays approximately 150–200 beautiful blue to blue-green eggs per year.
Why choose our Blue Legbars? These are genuine auto-sexing Legbars—not generic “blue egg layers.” You get the real breed, with the crest, the auto-sexing trait, and those stunning blue eggs that make every day feel special. They are rare, productive, and a talking point in any flock.
Pricing: Point of Lay (POL) hens: £40 | Chicks: £4
Why Buy From Us?
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✅ 100% home-hatched – We don’t buy in stock from unknown sources
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✅ Pure heritage breeds – Not hybrids, not imports, breed true every time
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✅ Pasture-raised on organic feed – High welfare, healthy birds
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✅ Herbal supplements & cider vinegar – Natural immunity support
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✅ Full traceability – You know exactly where your birds came from
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✅ Rare breed conservation – By buying from us, you help preserve Britain’s poultry heritage
Pricing & Availability
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Point of Lay (POL) hens – £40 each
(Ready to come into lay within days or weeks of arriving at your home.) -
Chicks – £4 each
(Available from April/May. All chicks are home-hatched)
What is “Point of Lay”?
POL hens are young pullets, typically around 16–20 weeks old, that are just beginning their laying cycle. They’re the perfect choice if you want eggs straight away without the wait of raising chicks.
Ordering & collection:
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Collection only – We’re based in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire.
Contact Magalie to place your order:
Email: magalie@moonherbs.co.uk
Phone: 07950525962