The Transylvania Naked Neck Chicken is often called Turken Chickens. Some people think it is a cross between a chicken and a turkey because of the unfeathered area on the neck. This skin turns red when exposed to the sun, further paralleling the turkey. However, the Turken Chickens are actually the result of a single gene that affects the arrangement of feather-growing tracts over the chicken's body. It can be easily introduced into any breed. Turkens have no feathers on a broad band between the shoulders and the base of the skull. They also have a reduced number of feathers on their bodies but this is not evident until the bird is handled. This characteristic is a novel feature that does not detract from the utility of the bird.
American Poultry Association Class: All Other Standard Breeds Chickens Class
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy Conservation Status:
Production: Despite its highly unusual appearance, the breed is not particularly known as an exhibition bird, and is a dual-purpose utility chicken. They lay a respectable number of light brown eggs, and are considered desirable for meat production because they need less plucking.
Colors: Black Naked Necks, White Naked Necks, Buff Naked Necks, Red Naked Necks. The Turken chicks listed here are mixed colors. We do carry the Red Naked Necks for sale as a specific color here.
Genetics: The trait for a naked neck is a dominant one controlled by one gene and is fairly easy to introduce into other breeds.
History: Originally from Central Europe, it was originated in Hungary and largely developed in Germany. The name Turken chicken arose from the mistaken idea that the bird was a hybrid of a chicken and the domestic turkey. Naked Necks are fairly common in Europe today, but are rare in North America. Naked Necks is a breed recognized by the American Poultry Association since 1965.
