I asked a noted NN breeder some questions about NN breeding as a follow up to what Banjoe had shared with us.
I asked several questions but I was mainly asking about the Pure NN gene and how that carries out in breeding. This was his reply complete with pics.
Hi Monty,
It's really "pure for the NN gene", a bird with 2 copies of the gene. It's not like some are super dominant or double dominant etc, just an ordinary chicken pure for the NN gene.
You can even tell by looking at a NN bird if it's pure or not pure for the NN gene. Not pure have large bowties with tons of feathers, looks more like a bib covering the front of neck. Pure ones have either a small bowtie or no bowtie at all.. neck is very visible from the front. You can even see the difference as soon a chick hatches.. quite useful if your local feed store orders 25 of them or someone local is selling chicks.. just go through and pick the ones with tiny or no bowties. To help, here's my own pictures:
Left not pure(see bowtie has lots of fuzz, can only see skin on back of neck) right is pure(can clearly see twin 'puffs' on neck, can see skin easily on front of neck and other little things like area between eye and beak is bare, shoulders(can't see them in pic)
all are pure except for the dark one on right:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/5756_babies5.jpg
this one is very clearly pure, it's a little extra naked than usual- bowtie puffs are very small and high up on this one however the real point is you can very clearly see the neck from the front, plus the other little hints like the skin between eye/beak etc:
They are born 'naked as is', they do not get nakeder as they get older. They will seem to get more naked as they start growing however they will look less naked again once the feathers grow out fully. Don't let anybody tell you a chick with huge bowtie on front is pure or will become more naked as it grows.. It is also a myth that only the ones with totally bare necks are the pure ones.. those exist but are not too common.
Back to breeding question- yes the ones pictured above with the tiny bowties will throw 100% NN with anything. However, if bred with non-NN, all chicks will have the big bowties, like the dark chick in above pics. If you want what is basically a 'naked necked X' like naked necked barred rock, all you have to do is cross a NN to a BR, then repeat a cross of a naked necked bird back to a pure BR every generation. Mind you, some colors and patterns are pretty complex and involve several genes, so it's not always that simple.
A bird that does not have a naked neck does not 'have the gene at all' even if both of its parents were NN. (that can happen when both parents are not pure NN... visually, both parents probably had large bowties) So don't be tempted to keep a fully feathered chick for this reason or let somebody tell you a fully feathered bird has 'naked neck genetics and will throw NN chicks...' I've seen that more than a few times.
I have heard the term 'double dominant' used many times and it is slightly worrying. So, just remember- fuzzy neck, the NN gene is completely gone in said chick..
Birds with big bowties will throw 1/2 NN and 1/2 not NN if bred with a non-NN.
For examples of adult birds not pure for NN (big bowties with lots feathers):
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/BanatianNNH.JPEG
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/BkTurkenC.JPEG
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/ColNNC.JPEG
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/PolishNakedNecksh01.JPEG
Trio of chicks, not mine.. but useful for visual aid.. (hint: 2 pure one not pure- on left)
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/BuffTurkenChix.JPEG
Pure NN:
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/KevBuffNN.JPEG
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/TurkenWhF.JPEG
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Turkens/TurkenChik6d.JPEG
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4230674234_bb6b213333.jpg
I know way too much info and pics.. just want to help you get familiar before getting a new one.
Afraid to say this in case it seems completely confusing.. all of above applies to single combed birds. But want to say it anyways in case you do a lot of crossing or mixing. If other comb types are present, especially pea comb, it can make a bird not pure for NN *seem* to be pure NN by having a smaller bowtie. Pea comb has the side effect of reducing the overall number of feathers on a bird.. usually not visible on various breeds but it really shows up when NN is involved.
Here's an example.. this hen is not pure NN but has a pretty naked neck anyways due to pea comb:
http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy15
CF9082.jpg
If you look under the city ordinances section it says it's legal.
