Naked Neck/Turken Thread

[Cotton42]

This turken chick is huge! Is this normal for the breed? She isn't just big, she is heavy. I guess she could be a he, but either way,

She's 4 weeks old...

At 4 weeks old with a face already turning red you probably have a roo on your hands. I could be wrong though.

 

[ben is a terror]

Is it normal for their face to change color? When she is sleeping on my lap she is very pale and at other times she is bright red. Is she having a hot flash

Can they get sunburn like hairless dogs? Are they good flyers? I'm getting ready to move some outside and I want them safe

 

[Kassaundra]

Is it normal for their face to change color? When she is sleeping on my lap she is very pale and at other times she is bright red. Is she having a hot flash

Can they get sunburn like hairless dogs? Are they good flyers? I'm getting ready to move some outside and I want them safe

Yes, NN females especially are like the mood rings of the chicken world, they never out grow it either, the red comes and goes, sometimes by he minute. Sometimes they are so red you would swear they are male.

kemc, I do not know if your big chick is male or female, however that red on the face isn't ness. male only trait. The huge size would lead me to think male b/c in my experience (though limited) the size diff in male vs female is more exagerated in the NN's.

 

[Kassaundra]

kemc both these NN are the same age the first one is male and the second is female, both have quite a bit of red on thier faces, but note the comb diff. and wattle size, both these are single combed birds. I don't have any good pics to show the size diff. but looking from the top straight down onto the back the females are noticably more narrow and dainty (at least mine have been)

 

[ellymayRans]

kemc both these NN are the same age the first one is male and the second is female, both have quite a bit of red on thier faces, but note the comb diff. and wattle size, both these are single combed birds. I don't have any good pics to show the size diff. but looking from the top straight down onto the back the females are noticably more narrow and dainty (at least mine have been)

Kass,

How old are these? First time NN owner and I've been fretting over swearing of the 8 ... that 7 were roos based on the comb and face redness!! But now seeing yours all but 1 looks like the female in your pic. None have near the size comb or wattles as the first but I have 1 which is my only NaNa that appears to have "True" male traits. Mine are only 4 wks of age. I got each one out of the brooder yesterday ... "Lined" them up (ha right!!) and tried like no other to pull out the males to have some little idea of how many females I had and I just couldn't do it! LOL Wow...I've never had a breed that just fooled me at this age! Usually it's pretty..."Um..yep you're a roo" by this time! Second the motion too of the difficulty being because several of them one moment have the redness and then a few mins later ... It's gone!

 

[Kassaundra]

Kass,

How old are these? First time NN owner and I've been fretting over swearing of the 8 ... that 7 were roos based on the comb and face redness!! But now seeing yours all but 1 looks like the female in your pic. None have near the size comb or wattles as the first but I have 1 which is my only NaNa that appears to have "True" male traits. Mine are only 4 wks of age. I got each one out of the brooder yesterday ... "Lined" them up (ha right!!) and tried like no other to pull out the males to have some little idea of how many females I had and I just couldn't do it! LOL Wow...I've never had a breed that just fooled me at this age! Usually it's pretty..."Um..yep you're a roo" by this time! Second the motion too of the difficulty being because several of them one moment have the redness and then a few mins later ... It's gone!

LOL yes they are hard to sex for me too. These pics they are around 6-8 weeks I think, and I think closer to the 6 week. It was from last year so I can't quite remember. Post pics of them I'm sure some of the more experienced byc'ers could help w/ gender id.

 

[r4eboxer]

Has anyone started their own showgirl flock with your turkens? I just purchased silkies and I want to try my hand at getting some showgirls from them. Any tips and tricks of the trade?

 

[ellymayRans]

Has anyone started their own showgirl flock with your turkens? I just purchased silkies and I want to try my hand at getting some showgirls from them. Any tips and tricks of the trade?

I have not but am considering it...prob will be more of a next year start-up. From what I've read though it seems it's several years in the making (as are most!!).

 

[r4eboxer]

I have not but am considering it...prob will be more of a next year start-up. From what I've read though it seems it's several years in the making (as are most!!).

I wonder what makes it take so many years, I know quality for sure. My thought was the chicks would inherit the black skin right off, will they not get the silkie feathering for a while?

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

There are no tricks. Just cross the Naked Neck and Silkie. Take the Naked Neck chicks with the most 'Silkie characteristics' and cross them back to the nicest Silkies, and keep back crossing the Naked Neck Silkie chicks.
The second generation should have silkie feathering and from there on it is just a matter of selecting and backcrossing.