Naked Neck chicken is a unique breed, and many poultry farmers who want to add a unique look to their farms are keeping this breed. Most of the people know this breed as Turken Chicken or Transylvanian Naked Neck chicken.
The conservation status of Transylvanian Naked Neck chicken breed is studied. Many farmers are showing their interest in this breed. Also, some breeders raise there turken chickens for selling in local markets.
They are unique, and the disappearance of feathers at the neck region makes them distinctive from other breeds.
In this article we have provided complete guide on Naked neck chicken breed, which will help you care them easily.
Naked Neck Chicken (Turken Chicken): Introduction
The Naked neck chicken is recognized as a unique breed with an absence of feathers over the neck region. These featherless neck chickens are very lovely birds that are easy to raise.
The naked neck or no feathers at the neck is natural for hens and roosters of this breed. Some poultry farmers call this breed as the Transylvanian Naked Neck and popularly named as Turken Chickens.
History of Transylvanian Naked Neck Chicken breed
This Naked Neck chicken breed was first found in Transylvania – Romania originally. It was mostly industrialized in Germany. “Turken”–it is a name that came from a wrong impression. Some breeders thought that this bird was a mix of a domestic turkey and a chicken.
In Europe, the breeds of Naked Neck chickens are legitimately common today. However, they are exceptional in North America and mostly available in South America. For a naked neck chicken, the characteristic is overriding.
It is controlled by one gene and is easy to introduce into other breeds. The American Poultry Association has documented the true Naked Necks since 1965. However, this breed had entered to Britain in the 1920s.
Lifespan of Naked Neck Chickens
These Naked Neck chickens have a good lifespan of about 7-8 years. They are lovely chickens with good meat and egg production.
Temperament of Naked Neck Turkens
The Transylvanian Naked Neck chicken are very hardy, active and vigorous birds. Hens of this breeds rarely go angry but you may see some aggressiveness in roosters. They love to live in both cold and hot climates.
Also the Naked Neck hens make good mother and mostly go broody. They take care of their childrens very efficiently and make them alert in every danger situation.
Egg Production
Naked Neck chickens are dual purpose chickens but they lay about 100 eggs (3 eggs per week) per year. They lay medium to large size light brown color eggs.
Colors, Size, and Appearance of Naked Neck Chickens
The Naked Neck chicken is known as a poultry breed with a dual purpose use. As mentioned, the feathers of its neck and vent devoid naturally. The origin of the Naked Neck chicken is indistinct.
If you want to know more about dual purpose chickens here is the complete guide on it.
However, some assume that they have been transported back from Asia. The time of their transportation was at the end of the ninth century. The Hungarian conquerors are responsible for it.
The other name of this breed is Turken or Kaalnek. Let us discuss its color, size, and appearance briefly.
Color
Naked Neck chickens have a range of colors, and their necks have red color skin. Their exposed skin turns bright red in the sunlight—the color combination matches with the turkey.
However, at the unavailability of sunlight, it rests in pink or yellow. The skin color of the body parts of turken chickens is yellow.
You can find the legs of these bare neck chickens are without feathers. The paler feathered varieties have yellow legs. Also, slate blue is the color found among dark feathered breeds. This breed has four toes on the feet.
You will find a red-colored single comb with bulky wattles among Naked Neck chickens. The color of the eye of this breed is the reddish bay, and the earlobes are red. They have single comb on their head.
Size
The average weight of this breed is listed below:
- Standard Naked Turken Rooster: Their weight is around 3.9 kg
- Standard Naked Neck females: Their weight is around 3 kg
- The bantam naked neck rooster weight: 965 grams only
- The bantam female weight: 850 grams only
Appearance
You may find these bald neck chickens as the strangest looking bird. In the poultry world, many breeders find it special because of its impressive appearance. The appearance of having no feather over the neck is their specialty.
Some say they result from the crossbreeding between a turkey and a chicken. They produce this look from this cross, i.e., completely featherless necks and faces.
Transylvanian Naked Necks have a standard shape for a chicken raised mostly for meat production purposes. They are large fowl and have a broad back.
Characteristics of Turken Chickens
The Transylvanian Naked Neck chicken are also known as Turken. Some consider them as the unpleasant duckling of the group. During their growth, you may find its nakedness with its large-looking head. The slight coif of feathers is decorating its big-looking head.
Some new breeders may face some confusion with their growing nature. Some even think that it is a bit wrong with this chicken.
It is obvious for any breeder to take precautions when you notice feather loss in your chicken. You become a little worried and attempt to figure out the fundamental cause.
Here are your doubts- Is it flaking, sick, or filled with bugs? On the other hand, this heterogeneous breed of chicken has 50% fewer feathers naturally if you compare them with the most standard chickens.
Therefore, take a deep breath and rest easy. There is nothing to worry about as it is not the chicken, but the problem lies with the entire breed.
This Transylvania-origin species is widely popular with many names, such as the Naked Neck or featherless neck chicken. It originates from Romania and now can be found globally.
Benefits of Raising Naked Neck Chicken Breed
1. A Decent Egg Layer
You can count on the Naked Neck chicken. This breed can provide your family with three turken chicken eggs per week. But if your want to raise some good egg laying chickens here is the list with images.
Therefore, this breed is not deliberated to be prolific layers. You can expect an average amount of medium, light brown eggs from them all over the entire year. It may be just enough for your holiday baking.
2. Can Provide Enough Meat
Here is where the Naked Neck truly rises above the flock in yield. This chicken is dual-purpose just because of the Meat quantity you can have from it.
You can notice that the Naked Neck is a heavier bird. The reason behind their heaviness is; their energy is not consumed by its feather production and used in gaining weight.
Some farmers who do not have any automatic pluckers may like this breed. You will not face any problem while raising the Naked Neck, as you do not have to pluck out its feathers very much. You can butcher with much quicker than other breeds of chickens.
3. Stand Against Tough Conditions
You may think of the Transylvanian Naked Neck chicken as it would not stand a chance against cold climates just because of their breezy bottoms and necks.
Well, you are wrong! Yet, the naked neck chickens are truly cold hardy to a certain extent. When you provide them with housing and lagging for winter, they will do fairly over and above the rest of your flock.
As we know that this breed is already half-naked related to other chickens, they can also tolerate extreme hot weather. Sometimes, you may notice your feathery chickens panting and searching for shade. But with Naked Necks, they will do their business as usual.
4. They Are Amazing Free-Range Chickens
The Naked Neck admires eating. They will opportunely look for the best shrubbery and food in your yard.
From research, it is found that the naked neck breed truly wishes to free-range and explore their food. If you allow them to do so, they will depart on a day-long and search for food amid your gardens.
Problems in Raising Naked Neck Chicken
The breed of the Naked Neck Chicken will not grant you many problems than their predators or other specific breeds in your coop. Here are some points that can help you know the difficulties in raising this breed:
- The roosters of naked neck chicken breed are a little violent. The farmers should keep in mind before taking them into the coop.
- You may notice some sunburn on their neck as they do not have any feathers over this region. Taking precautions for them for not getting the sunburn can make your job a little fuzzy.
- This breed will not give a decorative look to your coop. If you want an eye-catching poultry farm filled with varieties of chicken breeds, this breed will not be the right choice.
Care Guide for Transylvanian Naked Neck chickens (Turken Chickens)
The farming of the Naked Neck chicken is quite stress-free. The article can provide you with Turken Chicken facts. It can say how to start the process of this business as a beginner.
It is sufficient about the beginning and functioning of a fruitful Naked Neck chicken farming business. The points mentioned below contain information from acquiring birds to caring and marketing:
a) Housing
You should prepare a decent and safe housing system. This is imperative for Naked Neck chicken farming. A good house can help the birds to stay healthy and protect them from all kinds of predators. Also, it can keep them safe from any weather.
Here is your guide for keeping chickens healthy in different weathers:
b) Feeding
It would help if you fed the birds with very decent worth, nourishing, and vigorous food. This is vital for the Naked Neck chicken farming business.
c) Caring
The chickens of this breed are robust and hardy. They are active birds as well and do not require enough caring.
d) Breeding
The chickens of Naked Neck breed are unsurprisingly very virtuous breeders. The behavior of breeding matches with many other domestic chicken breeds.
Hens can breed effortlessly and harvest fertile eggs. To make this happen, maintain the ratio of hens and roosters in your flock. Understand difference between Hen vs Rooster.
e) Marketing
You will not face any problem while marketing. This chicken breed can produce both Meat and eggs. These chickens are quite popular and have a higher value in the market around the world.
How to Keep a Naked Neck Chicken Warm in The Winter?
Most of the Naked Neck chickens easily survive in cold weather conditions. Hoever they may required some additional support in freezy cold and snowy areas.
You may use some good heaters for chicken coops and brooders to keep the coop and flocks warm. This will also allow the Naked Neck Hens to keep laying during the winters.
Conclusion
In many areas, the farming of Naked Neck chicken is common. The popularity is going increasingly of this breed because of its dual purpose.
This breed is an excellent choice for those who want both meat and egg production purposes.
Many breeders are looking for this Turken chicken breed for their poultry farms. Farmers are keeping them in many where this breed is available.
The Transylvanian Naked Neck chickens specialty is that they have no feathers available on their neck and vent. If you want to add a different breed to your poultry, Turken chicken breed is the best option available.
