Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[alohachickens]

@alohachickens

I've about cone to a point though that I'm going to have to change out my Aloha ( yours) rooster for some outside blood. Trying to figure out what way to go with obe though. Maybe a Red (by) NN rooster and lose the spitting for a generation.

Anyway I'll be posting and updating the Mottled NN thread pretty soon. Also check out my Facebook Naked Neck aka Turken Fanicers Page.

If there is any way you could find a nice black tailed buff (Buff Columbian) NN rooster, that would make a huge difference. Turns out that color really picks up the spots, and it lets the variety of body color through. Like if he was bred do a darker brown or black hen, the hen's color will dominate.

Video of the color on a hen:

These hens here, that I started with, came from Privett Hatchery in NM. I know because that's the only hatchery the feed store south of me orders from. They have a deal to be sent the week's "leftovers" of whatever didn't sell out at Privett. Unfortunately, because of this, I can't make requests that they get them again - because they get whatever is left - which is a bummer because I'd love to pick out the likely buff peeps from a large order.

The 2016 price list is showing them at $2.37 each for 25, straight run, plus a $7 small order fee, so a box of straight run peeps would be $66.25 delivered. If anyone sees the pics of the hens below and wanted to try to order, that's what it would cost for 25 straight run chicks.

Hens are $2.94 each.

Prvett's web page: http://www.privetthatchery.com/

I know the colors would be mixed - and it's questionable if they'd pick out colors for you?

I can verify that when I ordered chicks from Ideal Hatchery in TX, my very first chick order like 9 years ago, I did a special request and asked if they had any Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas, could they include them? AND I GOT TWO! (Out of five peeps!) I was impressed! So I can't say if Privett would honor "special requests" but I could say if anyone on here is thinking of ordering Turkens - especially from Ideal in TX - and you want a specific color, it sure won't hurt to list it in the notes or special instructions.

Anyway - if there is a way to place an order of Turkens, or if you have a feed store that can order a batch for you, maybe tell them you'd commit to buying 5 or 10 or something, if there is a way to try and get the Buff ones, give it a shot.

I have been kicking around the idea of ordering a box of Turkens from Privett, raising them for maybe 3 weeks until they start to feather out, and then seeing if I can get any of those gorgeous light buttery buffs.

The hens that my neighbor got from them were the lightest, palest, creamiest Buff Coloumbian that I've ever seen!


Here is the original teeny tiny breeder pen that I started the line with. The rooter was teeny and skinny, the hens big and plump.

I STILL HAVE THE HEN IN FRONT - and now I want to breed her with a much BIGGER and very colorful roo, if I can get some eggs out of her - she is 3 or 4 at this point?!?

Anyway, if you can find the "male" version of that buff hen - and cross with Sussex / Aloha or whatnot - you would get some very pretty chicks for sure!

Has anyone ordered Turkens from Ideal Hatchery and seen their stock's color or quality? Since I did have my "special request" for color filled when I used them? I just wanted to share that info, because Ideal obviously did listen to the request, so if someone on here knows they have good Turkens it may be a source for folks needing a specific color like red, black, or buff.

I've never seen specifically a Turken from Ideal so no idea what their stuff looks like?

 

[GabrielBane]

all of that reading about genetics was great with a cup of coffee! Can't wait to see how everyone expands that project!

 

[alohachickens]

Here's a photo of the "original" NN (Privett Hatchery stock) hen. Just took this right now.

She's doing great, having survived MULTIPLE summers, no easy feat considering we hit 116, 117, even 118 on some days!






Isn't she the most stunning pale buff color?

Same hen pictured in this group pic from several years ago:


(old pic)

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

@alohachickens You are seriously tempting me and giving me a lot to think about. I live south of Tucson, so getting birds from you would be no problem. BUT...and this is a big but...with my latest hatch I'm up to nearly 100 chickens and my husband's patience is nearing it's end, and I took on Silver Grey Dorkings this year for intensive breeding. That means I have 2 focus breeds, the SGDs and the Naked Necks (which would fit in with the Alohas quite nicely). Still...your birds are so amazing, I'd hate to see them die off. So....I'll be giving this some serious thought. If you reach the point of abandoning your project, please get hold of me if I haven't contacted you by then, okay?

I mentioned it to my husband tonight and although he winced, he didn't shoot down the idea. I had actually spoken to him about you and your chickens after reading about them in "Backyard Poultry" magazine. He agrees that it would be a tragedy to let them die out, but I'd have to severely cull down my existing flock first. I confess to being quite the softy when it comes to culling. I butcher the ones with the worst personalities first and hang on to a lot of birds I shouldn't simply because they're so friendly and sweet. That's why I have so many.

It's something I really need to start working on, no matter how many tears I shed in the process. We'll definitely have to stay in touch.

DesertChic, is it wrong of me to beg you to take this on? You have a lot more room than me.

Also, you have some really big birds - you may have a better chance at upping the size on these (they are smaller, as aloha chickens said).

Has anyone ordered Turkens from Ideal Hatchery and seen their stock's color or quality? Since I did have my "special request" for color filled when I used them? I just wanted to share that info, because Ideal obviously did listen to the request, so if someone on here knows they have good Turkens it may be a source for folks needing a specific color like red, black, or buff.

I've never seen specifically a Turken from Ideal so no idea what their stuff looks like?

My NNs are from Ideal - I love them. But do note they are highly variable in color and size (but generally good size). My main flock rooster even has a rose comb (!!). The buff girls I have have a lot of black "leakage" (I'm sure that's not what it's called) on the feathers.

I have 25 broiler NN chicks coming from Dunlap Hatchery in February - they got their stock from S&G poultry (who closed out from doing NNs), which had the reputation of having very large fast growing NNs. All the photos I saw on their site were all red/buff NNs. Here is a link to the page with the photos (you can still see it although their main page doesn't link to it anymore). Of course, note these are meat chickens and there were no efforts regarding their color at the hatchery.

http://www.sandgpoultry.com/bird-nakedneck.php

You are REALLY tempting me to get hatching eggs form you and use some of the best colored buff S&Gs that I keep to cross with aloha NNs.

Let me think about it - it would entail building more housing than I was planning to...

- Ant Farm

 

[alohachickens]

You can see how that NN hen's buff color is unusually bright, pale and "clear".

Now here is her grand daughter:









The key is not just finding a Buff Turken - but it must have the black tail, (Buff Columbian color, like Buff Brahma and Buff Sussex color) - NOT the "solid" yellow as seen on Buff Orpington or Buff Rocks.

Let me repeat: DO NOT USE BUFF ORPS OR BUFF ROCKS - for some unknown reason, they fought me the entire way and I could not get the spots on those breeds.

It must have something to do with the gene that makes the tail tip black. If you are using Buff Naked Necks that are basically Buff Orps bred to have no feathers on the neck, they will not have the spots. You need to start with a true "Buff Turken" if at all possible. If you can't find Buff Turken, default to Buff Brahma and try to clean up the legs, or Buff Sussex (even better, but they are hard to find!)

Here is the rooster that I have left - the Buff Turken's son who actually picked up some Mottling even on the first generation.

I am considering breeding him back to his own Mom (eeew gross but remember, I lost the rooster I was going to keep) which is not perfect, but maybe it could at least "lock in" her traits and if I could hatch another few hens like her, that would be nice, as she is an exceptional hen in terms of being STRONG and vibrant and an excellent healthy layer!

Inbreeding is very bad if there are genetic faults, as it amplifies them, but in this case since the parent stock is exceptionally healthy I may be OK?

Poor "Robin" the rooster is stuck in the coop rafters because he is the smallest boy so gets bullied by the larger roos:



Here is an old pic of him in his "Glory Days" where he had his own pen at my friend Deb's house:


If I put little Robin in with the lovely Mille hen here, the chicks would be 100% Mille - just like the parents. When you get to this point, where both are Mille, which is buff with flecks of white and black, it is a "true breeding" color.

If these are put in with darker colors - like the dark brown color of a Speckled Sussex or Jubille Orp, in most cases the dark color "takes over" completely and you will get 100% dark brown spotted chicks. You can try and pull out the light golds later - maybe? But the dark colors like black and dark brown mottled are quick to overwhelm Buff shades.

That's what makes that gorgeous clear pale buttery Buff color on the original Turken hen so very special. It's kind of hard to find!

 

[alohachickens]

Quote: Please consider it, I saw their stock and they would have the size needed to improve these gorgeous spotty NN's.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Here's a photo of the "original" NN (Privett Hatchery stock) hen. Just took this right now.

She's doing great, having survived MULTIPLE summers, no easy feat considering we hit 116, 117, even 118 on some days!






Isn't she the most stunning pale buff color?

Same hen pictured in this group pic from several years ago:


(old pic)

Lovely!!!

Quote: PM'ing you now, before I come to my senses...

- Ant Farm

 

[Beer can]

Buff Catalana have black tails.

 

[alohachickens]

I'm just about to set up a breeder pen with this young Aloha rooster - I am hoping that he is mature enough to handle his own pen??

He's on the timid side, overall - and has been pretty mild tempered. Age-wise he is mature at over 6 months old, possibly 8 months? But emotionally I'm not sure if he can handle it, as silly as that sounds.



My other option with the solid Buff hatchery NN hen, is to cross her with him - and "re-start" the line again - but instead of crossing her with this skinny boy who was the most colorful roo that I had years ago, to start again with the above boy, who has a lot of white but is not "weedy".

Here are pics of the original super colorful boy so you can compare body type on him, against the above boy:







Or, I take the Buff NN hen, and I cross her with Robin, who is the above (skinny rooster's) son? Robin is a confident, proven breeder. Here's another pic of Robin:


So what do you think? Cross the big buff NN hen with the colorful youngster and hope he can "do the job"? Or put her in the little pen with Robin (her son) for a "linebred" cross?

Here's the girl again:


Top rooster with all the white (has no name at this point, first pic) or smaller NN boy, Robin?

 

[alohachickens]

Weird, system glitched and did a double post - sorry!