Naked Neck Turkens

[anthonyjames]

Is the Naked Neck Turken the same as the Poulet Rouge?

They look similar and I was thinking about purchasing some to raise for meat after my cornishs

 

[Brunty_Farms]

The birds in the Poulet Rouge programs are hybrids bred by Hubbard Breeders. The parents consist of a fully feathered hen crossed with a Naked Neck rooster. Both breeds are red.

However I think that if you get some New Hampshire Hens and bred them to a Red Naked Neck rooster your going to get really close to the same results.


They are similar but not the same bird... a true Poulet Rouge breed is geared more skin type as far as looks go. MHO here, I think it's a scam and a way for the French Label to separate their chickens from anyone else's. Any DP breed that has been bred for good meat qualities fit's the standard guidelines for the Poulet Rouge program.

Which ever you choose to do, I would gear more towards a cross. Even if you cross your own, you will create the Hybrid Vigor that is needed in such a program. The Naked Neck gene would be dominate and all the offspring will have it. I guess that would make killing very easy.

 

[anthonyjames]

Jeff,

Thanks. I would love to try and breed/cross my own but I am on an acre and my neighbors don't take kindly to roos. I have already had to dispatch a few due to noise complaint from them.

Plus, on my acre I am running the following this year:
80 Cornish
18 Turkeys
Rabbits: About 60 - 70 in pens at any given time
100 quail
Plus my laying hens below.

So I was looking at the Turkens and thought they might be close to the same bird. I am just looking to try something different for our family on this cause.

I already have a lot of dual purpose birds laying right now that will become dinner in about 18 months:
3 EE
13 Americaunas
2 Buckeyes
4 Austrolaps
4 Star Red
2 Speckled Sussex
4 Plymouth Barred
1 Mille Fluer
2 Cochins

 

[Buster52]

I researched t his recently as some dude on a discussion list was talking about how these things would be good for a home flock, yet he only orders his and never raises them from home stock. He was offering to let others piggyback on his orders, but when I said I would rather order some for myself since he was too far away to visit and asked where he ordered them from, his responses dried up. So, I researched it and found his claims to be bogus. Jeff is right, those are hybrids and will not breed true. To get the same bird, you have to ship them in every year and that just isn't... well, never mind.

As I understand it, Poulet Rouge is more about the system of raising the birds than about any single breed or hybrid. You can raise any breed by those standards, although I wouldn't limit to those but go beyond them. I find them a bit lacking.

The NNs in the program aren't the only ones. I understand the genetics for the Freedom Rangers are also developed for that program.

But the NNs used in the program aren't just about the amount of meat or the skin. They were also selected for taste, something that isn't done with your commercial broilers. So, I wouldn't jump to the conclusion it is either a scam or easily replicated in the back yard. Not everyone is looking for massive size. To some, quality means more than quantity.

Personally, if I ever resorted to shipping in birds every season, it would probably be these.

ETA
Here is a good article on Label Rouge...

http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/labelrouge.pdf