Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[Fire Ant Farm]

I didn't get my NNs from Ideal, but the first of my cockerels reached 1 lb by 4 weeks and topped 5 lbs by 14 weeks on 20 - 24% protein feed, no corn, no soy and no canola. I supplemented their feed with crushed hard boiled egg at least once per week for the first month, gave them apple cider vinegar in their water each day for the first month, and fed them lots of fresh organic kale and Swiss chard from my garden whenever I could (and still do). I've also fermented their feed, or at least soaked it overnight, and often added whey to it from the Greek yogurt my son likes to eat. The first (and smallest) cockerels that I butchered around 18 weeks processed out around 3.5 lbs., were pretty well muscled and very tasty with minimal excess fat.

Awesome info - thanks!

I'm pretty sure now that I'm going for it. I'll get the 15 NNs and 10 New Hampshires, raise them together, keep some good breeder options, and go forward with our NNs and NNxNH crosses...

- Ant Farm

 

[DesertChic]

Awesome info - thanks!

I'm pretty sure now that I'm going for it. I'll get the 15 NNs and 10 New Hampshires, raise them together, keep some good breeder options, and go forward with our NNs and NNxNH crosses...

- Ant Farm

Be sure to post photos along the way! I suspect you're going to be very pleased with the results you get from your project.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Be sure to post photos along the way! I suspect you're going to be very pleased with the results you get from your project.

The order just went in - I'm picking them up on Sept. 9.

I will definitely post photos, and if I can stay organized enough, I will try to track weights along the way (also to help me pick my breeders to keep of either type).

Thanks for the encouragement - I'm so exited!

- Ant Farm

 

[Kassaundra]

The order just went in - I'm picking them up on Sept. 9.

I will definitely post photos, and if I can stay organized enough, I will try to track weights along the way (also to help me pick my breeders to keep of either type).

Thanks for the encouragement - I'm so exited!

- Ant Farm

Congrats, I think almost everyone on this thread views "other" chickens as an opportunity to improve them w/ NN blood. lol

 

[jwells84]

Hi. Congrats! An yes to improving other breeds with nn.lol. my cross this year was wlhxnn.I got some beautiful white nns. Was hoping for some color but only ended up with 3 black nn babies.they were out of a Orpington/astrolap cross hen. Heres a couple pictures

 

[hellbender]

Hi. Congrats! An yes to improving other breeds with nn.lol. my cross this year was wlhxnn.I got some beautiful white nns. Was hoping for some color but only ended up with 3 black nn babies.they were out of a Orpington/astrolap cross hen. Heres a couple pictures

Nothing cuter than NN chicks!! Congrts.

 

[jwells84]

Thanks. I had someone else incubate the eggs an they did better.id been having trouble with my hatches.. got 5 out of 18. I had about 5 clears to. Looks like my roo couldn't keep up with his girls. An I needed a new bator. But im happy with the hatch.much better than I was getting.( 1 or2 out of 20 or more)

 

[jwells84]

Question: next year I was planning to breed my nn hens to my ri rooster.is there only a 50% chance for nn gene to show since they are only half turken?

 

[Kassaundra]

Question: next year I was planning to breed my nn hens to my ri rooster.is there only a 50% chance for nn gene to show since they are only half turken?

If she is NaNa, then there is a 100% chance they will be Nana (naked neck w/ large bow tie) If she is Nana there is a 50% chance they will be Nana

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

If she is NaNa, then there is a 100% chance they will be Nana (naked neck w/ large bow tie) If she is Nana there is a 50% chance they will be Nana

OK, so bear with me, I want to be CERTAIN I understand this as I think about my NN cross project.

Na is a dominant gene controlling the decreased feathering seen in the Naked Neck "breed" (not getting into what you get depending on source - my chicks will come from a hatchery, so I'm taking nothing for granted). This means that chickens that are either homozygous (Na/Na) or heterozygous (Na/na) will all have naked necks...

BUT

There is a dosage effect, such that the genotype can be accurately predicted by phenotype:
-- Na/Na will have a totally naked neck, maybe with a little tufting, but not lots. Selected individuals may uncommonly be bare all the way down over the crop and to shoulders, others just with naked necks.
-- Na/na will have a large "bowtie" in the front

SO

When I do my initial cross with another breed (New Hampshire Red in my case), then provided I am careful to only select Naked Necks for the initial breeding that show phenotype consistent with Na/Na (no big bowtie), all the F1s should be Na/na, and have bowties.

THEN

Starting with F2 crosses (and/or backcrossing the NNxNH to NN parent), over a few breedings/generations, I could theoretically use the phenotype to select for Na/Na in the hybrids, ending up with a consistent homozygous Na/Na line with added production features of the NHs (or any other NN cross, for that matter).

This PRESUMES that there isn't linkage of Na/Na to other genes associated with production qualities I'm interested in. (Anyone know if they are?)

Do I have this correct? Is it really this straightforward, or are there more complexities to Na regarding linkage, penetrance, etc.?

- Ant Farm

(edit for typo)