Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[Kev]

I am learning stuff all over! I had no idea it was normal for both sexes, but then I never see the skin on my other chickens haha. Marshmallow indeed has a rose comb, I thought it might be cushion or pea, but I don't know the parent stock and have raised very few chicks that didn't have single combs. If the rose comb has a leader, can you see that young or does it grow in?

If Tugboat is crested I haven't noticed, they looked just like Werewolf for a long time. Werewolf only recently started being the bigger of the two... Tugboat is also feathering out much slower, so I've started putting in two feeders just in case. Werewolf might just be something else, though, they've gotten huge and are feathering out head and shoulders above the rest. I'm glad they seem to be in good shape!

There's no pea comb in that pen, only single or rose. OK confession time.. have seen 'leader' used a few times but never figured out exactly what part of comb that is...

Haha yeah the blushing thing surprises people, even seasoned poultry keepers.

It's the little tiny cowlick on Tugboat. That's the evidence of Crest gene being present. Several of the hens in the pen are crested, it came from the Houdan in their background a ways back. It will be a tiny crest however if you like crests, he will be useful for bringing back fuller crests in future generations.

Yep the hens I suspect as mother of Werewolf are pretty big, Tugboat's more like a standard weight but pretty tall.. Marshmallow has some Wyandotte in her, those hens are mostly very fluffy and decent weight. You'd never figure it was actually blue laced red wyandottes by their colors though, ha... Some of those also like to go broody and so far have proved to be excellent mothers.

 

[Kassaundra]

I am learning stuff all over! I had no idea it was normal for both sexes, but then I never see the skin on my other chickens haha. Marshmallow indeed has a rose comb, I thought it might be cushion or pea, but I don't know the parent stock and have raised very few chicks that didn't have single combs. If the rose comb has a leader, can you see that young or does it grow in?

If Tugboat is crested I haven't noticed, they looked just like Werewolf for a long time. Werewolf only recently started being the bigger of the two... Tugboat is also feathering out much slower, so I've started putting in two feeders just in case. Werewolf might just be something else, though, they've gotten huge and are feathering out head and shoulders above the rest. I'm glad they seem to be in good shape!

These are related to my flock and many of mine have the slow feather gene in the males, not all so it can trick you, but a good guide in this line.

 

[DesertChic]

It also surprises me how some things become popular and what doesn't..... to be honest some of the things that have proved popular or even selling for $$ uhm.... I've been culling for years... oops? lol

Do those show any barring? I don't see any in those pictures?

No barring so far....at least not what I'm familiar with calling barring...but they're starting to get some neck feathering identical to what I saw on the Biels as they developed. I think it will be much more visible in another week and a half when I do the next photo session. I like these guys so much better than my pure Silkies. All of my Silkie cockerels have always been cranky right from the start and even my little Didi, my Silkie pullet, can go diva on me, but these little birds are all as sweet tempered as can be and yet still assertive enough to hold their own among the NNs and Biel/Australorp mixes.

 

[DesertChic]

These are related to my flock and many of mine have the slow feather gene in the males, not all so it can trick you, but a good guide in this line.

Aha! The slow feather gene! Why did I forget about that? I'm pretty sure my 4+ week old cockerel, Ozzy, has that gene. While all of his flockmates are fluffy and nearly completely feathered now, he's just starting to get his top wing feathers....and they're golden! Hopefully he'll have feathered out a bit by next photo shoot because I'm really curious about how he'll look.

 

[Kev]

No barring so far....at least not what I'm familiar with calling barring...but they're starting to get some neck feathering identical to what I saw on the Biels as they developed. I think it will be much more visible in another week and a half when I do the next photo session. I like these guys so much better than my pure Silkies. All of my Silkie cockerels have always been cranky right from the start and even my little Didi, my Silkie pullet, can go diva on me, but these little birds are all as sweet tempered as can be and yet still assertive enough to hold their own among the NNs and Biel/Australorp mixes.

I commented on the barring as Biels are a barred breed. So a biel rooster over a silkie should give 100% barred chicks. It can be hard to see on some buff birds but still, there should be some hint- at least a weak bar here or there and a slight greying to the black, especially on the tail... looks awfully crisp black? But I realize pictures are not the same as seeing in person though..

My worst chicken bite was a from a gloriously round, fluffy, big round crested, pure as driven snow silkie rooster.... He could seriously compete at a large show... but man, was he vicious when picked up... he would grab any bare skin, bite down with shocking strength then twist around or gouge out like crazy... Blood everywhere and none of it his... lol

 

[DesertChic]

I commented on the barring as Biels are a barred breed. So a biel rooster over a silkie should give 100% barred chicks. It can be hard to see on some buff birds but still, there should be some hint- at least a weak bar here or there and a slight greying to the black, especially on the tail... looks awfully crisp black? But I realize pictures are not the same as seeing in person though..

My worst chicken bite was a from a gloriously round, fluffy, big round crested, pure as driven snow silkie rooster.... He could seriously compete at a large show... but man, was he vicious when picked up... he would grab any bare skin, bite down with shocking strength then twist around or gouge out like crazy... Blood everywhere and none of it his... lol

I can believe it! My Silkie cockerel, Gingy, would just run full force into the bottom of my husbands foot over and over again and if he reached down to push him away, Gingy would try to latch on to his flesh. He bit me really hard one time, but let glow as soon as he realized I was strangling him.

I then carried him around by his feet for nearly twenty minutes until he learned to run in the other direction whenever I came around.

I think Silkie cockerels have a Napolean complex. Just my opinion....

 

[Skink]

These are related to my flock and many of mine have the slow feather gene in the males, not all so it can trick you, but a good guide in this line.

That is good to know! Only Tugboat is feathering out so slowly, so he might very well have that going on. Lots of fun genes in this lot. I didn't know they were related to yours, so also good to know! Pork must be related to the famous Rudy then haha

There's no pea comb in that pen, only single or rose. OK confession time.. have seen 'leader' used a few times but never figured out exactly what part of comb that is...

Haha yeah the blushing thing surprises people, even seasoned poultry keepers.

It's the little tiny cowlick on Tugboat. That's the evidence of Crest gene being present. Several of the hens in the pen are crested, it came from the Houdan in their background a ways back. It will be a tiny crest however if you like crests, he will be useful for bringing back fuller crests in future generations.

Yep the hens I suspect as mother of Werewolf are pretty big, Tugboat's more like a standard weight but pretty tall.. Marshmallow has some Wyandotte in her, those hens are mostly very fluffy and decent weight. You'd never figure it was actually blue laced red wyandottes by their colors though, ha... Some of those also like to go broody and so far have proved to be excellent mothers.

The leader is the pointy part off the back, that not all rose combs have:


Or at least I think it is? That is how I've seen it used. I'm interested in rosecomb bantams and saw it being used that way. They seem like a hard breed to get in to.

Werewolf is MASSIVE. It is nice to know the size passes down so well. I hope Marshmallow turns out to be a good mom! My incubator fits so few eggs and my husband can only get so mad if I'm hatching babies for the hen's health

Gotta get 'em off those nests somehow and I don't have a broody breaker. I do have a 8 x 10 coop and 24 x 14 chicken run with 11 chickens to use it right now. It's like an empty palace. I can fence off an area for broody mommas I'm sure.

 

[Kev]

I can believe it! My Silkie cockerel, Gingy, would just run full force into the bottom of my husbands foot over and over again and if he reached down to push him away, Gingy would try to latch on to his flesh. He bit me really hard one time, but let glow as soon as he realized I was strangling him.

I then carried him around by his feet for nearly twenty minutes until he learned to run in the other direction whenever I came around.

I think Silkie cockerels have a Napolean complex. Just my opinion....

Haha! He was the only roo I had for a while for the showgirl project and so nice in type so I took his 'abuse' with no correction than trying to aim his head away from any bodily parts...... lol

I think it's because of the fuzziness that makes people give them way too much leeway in culling and excusing bad behavior. A standard sized, non fuzzy roo that attacks people is a mean rooster... a silkie doing the exact same thing is "very protective of his girls".... and good forbid you even suggest chopping his head off and making soup. Which brings to another problem- most people over here won't eat them because of their colored meat. It's delicious! geeze.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I can believe it! My Silkie cockerel, Gingy, would just run full force into the bottom of my husbands foot over and over again and if he reached down to push him away, Gingy would try to latch on to his flesh. He bit me really hard one time, but let glow as soon as he realized I was strangling him.

I then carried him around by his feet for nearly twenty minutes until he learned to run in the other direction whenever I came around.

I think Silkie cockerels have a Napolean complex. Just my opinion....

Haha! He was the only roo I had for a while for the showgirl project and so nice in type so I took his 'abuse' with no correction than trying to aim his head away from any bodily parts...... lol

I think it's because of the fuzziness that makes people give them way too much leeway in culling and excusing bad behavior. A standard sized, non fuzzy roo that attacks people is a mean rooster... a silkie doing the exact same thing is "very protective of his girls".... and good forbid you even suggest chopping his head off and making soup. Which brings to another problem- most people over here won't eat them because of their colored meat. It's delicious! geeze.

Too funny - I spent a couple hours today just sitting on a short stool and watching my birds while they ranged outside the tractor (more photos in a subsequent post). Without fail, the tiny obnoxious New Hampshire cockerels kept pecking at my ankles and pants. Irritated the you-know-what out of me. Good thing they are all destined for the freezer/roasting pan already. Napoleon complex indeed...

I first experienced silkie meat in Singapore, in a well known specialty soup restaurant. The "black chicken" meat is the height of delicacy there. (Yup, it's yummy, too...) If I had silkies, you bet I'd be growing them for meat...

- Ant Farm

 

[Kassaundra]

That is good to know! Only Tugboat is feathering out so slowly, so he might very well have that going on. Lots of fun genes in this lot. I didn't know they were related to yours, so also good to know! Pork must be related to the famous Rudy then haha



The leader is the pointy part off the back, that not all rose combs have:


Or at least I think it is? That is how I've seen it used. I'm interested in rosecomb bantams and saw it being used that way. They seem like a hard breed to get in to.

Werewolf is MASSIVE. It is nice to know the size passes down so well. I hope Marshmallow turns out to be a good mom! My incubator fits so few eggs and my husband can only get so mad if I'm hatching babies for the hen's health

Gotta get 'em off those nests somehow and I don't have a broody breaker. I do have a 8 x 10 coop and 24 x 14 chicken run with 11 chickens to use it right now. It's like an empty palace. I can fence off an area for broody mommas I'm sure.

I'm not good at familial relationships, but lets see if we can figure it out. Kev's sc birds are 1/2 siblings (from different egg batches) to Rudy, so his birds offspring would be Rudy's nieces and nephews???? right????