Naked Neck: The Odd Looking Bird

The Naked Neck is an odd looking bird, but a good layer and easy to pluck when used for meat.

Naked Neck Facts:

Class: Standard: All Other Standard Breeds Bantam: Single Comb, Clean Legged

Size: Standard Male: 8.5 Ibs. Standard Female: 6.5 Ibs. Bantam Male: 34 oz. Bantam Female: 30 oz.

Comb, Wattles & Earlobes: They have a medium-size single comb with five well-defined upright points. They have medium size wattles and oblong earlobes of the same size. All are bright red.

Color: The beak, shanks, and toes are yellow, unless otherwise noted and the eyes are reddish bay.

Black: The beak is dark slate to black and the shanks and toes are black. They have standard black plumage.

Blue: They have standard blue plumage.

Buff: They have standard buff plumage.

Cuckoo: They have standard cuckoo plumage.

Red: They have standard red plumage.

White: They have standard white plumage.

Place of Origin: Eastern Europe (Hungary, Romania)

Conservation Status: Study

Special Qualities: They are good layers and easy to pluck, but also a very distinct and odd looking bird.

These birds are sometimes referred to as Turkens, as people believe that they look like a cross between a turkey and a chicken. They are some of the oddest looking birds of all chickens.

As the name implies, these birds have a naked neck and a vent, as well as significantly less feathers across the entire body.

The last trait is because of a gene that reduces the size and density of feathers. They actually only have 40 to 50 percent of the feathers that other chickens of similar size and weight have.

Birds that have this trait can be found in pockets all over the world. The breed that is recognized for this in North America orginated in Eastern Europe and was perfected in Germany in the 1800's.

Many people find the birds simply ugly, but the trait has it's fans. The birds adapt exceptionally well to hot climates, but also can tolerate cold weather as well.

The feathers are primarily made up of protein as well, so the lack of feathers also means that the breed requires less protein in their diet, which means that feeding them is more affordable and that extra protein goes into the production of eggs and meat.

The birds do well in free range situations, but can tolerate confinement as long as they are not packed in too tightly. The breed is also known to be extremely tough. The are immune to many diseases.

The hens lay a good number of large to medium brown eggs and are excellent mothers. They can also make excellent broilers and are easy to pluck because of the bare spots and lack of feathering.

The Naked Neck was first admitted into the APA in 1965.

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