The Calico/Aloha/Mottled Naked Neck Thread

[Fire Ant Farm]

This is so wonderful! With seven babies, I'm sure there will be enough spots to get a good program going!

And since these eggs were shipped early - before the DNA was really "set" on the Ebay pen - that means you'll see more genetic diversity.

The NN hens were running with 6 different Aloha roosters, before I penned them with the one NN boy. So it's possible there could be several dads to these babies!

Although with such a high rate of NN peeps, I'd say some must surely be his! Only one hen has two copy of the NN gene. All the others have one copy. So anything that appears to be homozygous N/N and not heterozygous N/n would probably be by the large, darker rooster.

Anything with one copy of the gene (a "bow tie") could be by one of the Aloha boys, and none of the Alohas were that dark mahogany color, so if it is a very light colored chick with a bow tie it could be unrelated to the darker chicks with true naked necks. Just a couple hints for trying to figure out "Who's the Daddy". Ha ha!

I'm quite thrilled in general and also specifically that they have that diversity (a plus for me here for my "program"). I also have Speckled Sussex girls (ok, hatchery, but still) and Tank my big red Naked Neck who has already nominated himself as their Mr. Right, from across the fence (they'll be put together soon)...

They're so cute and friendly.






- Ant Farm

 

[Kev]

you do have at least one NN. I'm guessing all chicks are single combed?

single comb NN have a bare patch between the eye and beak(chick in front and left side of pic), and also behind the eye but that is not as obvious. Nn have a solid fuzzy 'mask' on their faces(yellow chick on right). It's obvious even before the chick dries off.

actually its easier while the chicks are wet, the amount of their naked areas are plainer to see. The fuzz covers a surprising amount of area once dried and fluffed up, obscuring a lot of the naked areas on body.

are you going to tag them? looking at your pictures I am wondering what sort of feather pattern they will grow up with... is there a correlation between the chick down and presence/absence of black by the mottle etc...

p.s. maybe I missed it, are the parents all mottled or mix of mottle and carriers?

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

you do have at least one NN. I'm guessing all chicks are single combed?

single comb NN have a bare patch between the eye and beak(chick in front and left side of pic), and also behind the eye but that is not as obvious. Nn have a solid fuzzy 'mask' on their faces(yellow chick on right). It's obvious even before the chick dries off.

actually its easier while the chicks are wet, the amount of their naked areas are plainer to see. The fuzz covers a surprising amount of area once dried and fluffed up, obscuring a lot of the naked areas on body.

are you going to tag them? looking at your pictures I am wondering what sort of feather pattern they will grow up with... is there a correlation between the chick down and presence/absence of black by the mottle etc...

p.s. maybe I missed it, are the parents all mottled or mix of mottle and carriers?

About the face - that's a good tip! Honestly, I haven't messed with them enough to take a close look at each one yet - yes, I'll tag them at one week when I weigh them for the first time.

I agree about the wet chicks - that's how I knew I have at least two NN, as I saw them hatch. Here's one I caught on the way out, seems clearly NN to me. Quite striking...



For parentage, I'll let @alohachickens answer - I'll mess that up...

- Ant Farm

 

[Kev]

Haha yeah, if you ever get to hatching pea combed NN, the degree of nakedness can be shocking.

 

[alohachickens]

p.s. maybe I missed it, are the parents all mottled or mix of mottle and carriers?

All roosters the hens were *ever* exposed to displayed Mottling, so for sure every chick carries Mottling.

One hen is a hatchery NN from "Privett Hatchery" in NM. She is Buff with black tail, and carries a hidden Mottling gene. Only half her chicks will show Mottling.

She was going through a molt in Jan, poor thing was very chilly, and has now feathered out beautifully again since - but I would not expect many of the eggs to be hers, due to the stress of molt.

The rest of the hens display Mottling, so all chicks from those hens should show some degree of Mottling. Odds are stronger that the spotty hens would be the Moms, due to the molt situation. That's why I didn't have any photos of the pure NN hen in the Ebay auction, she looked terrible a month ago, LOL. I should get new pics of her in about a week, her new set of feathers is looking very nice.

 

[alohachickens]

Hey Everyone!

Check out these pics! I gave my neighbors over 20+ NN chicks, and look at them now!

Very good odds Fire Ant Farms will have a few like this:










My neighbor and I estimate at least 10 are for sure hens. Perhaps more, but that's all we felt strongly enough to call hens for sure at this point.

Over here, at my house, I have 23 in one batch that I'm raising, and another 9 in the batch of chicks right behind them. They are a few weeks younger, so haven't feathered out yet.

So excited to see how mine turn out!

 

[alohachickens]

PS. Only ONE of the chicks appeared not to show visible Mottling. It was a Buff color chick, so likely from an egg laid by the pure NN Privett hen.

Of course, that would make the chick a Mottled carrier - because all roosters did have Mottling - but not showing the color at this point.

All the other chicks showed Mottling to some degree. Some obviously show a TON of white.

Pretty impressive display of spots for such a large number of peeps!!!

 

[draye]

Hey Everyone! Check out these pics! I gave my neighbors over 20+ NN chicks, and look at them now! Very good odds Fire Ant Farms will have a few like this: My neighbor and I estimate at least 10 are for sure hens. Perhaps more, but that's all we felt strongly enough to call hens for sure at this point. Over here, at my house, I have 23 in one batch that I'm raising, and another 9 in the batch of chicks right behind them. They are a few weeks younger, so haven't feathered out yet. So excited to see how mine turn out! :cd

PS. Only ONE of the chicks appeared not to show visible Mottling. It was a Buff color chick, so likely from an egg laid by the pure NN Privett hen. Of course, that would make the chick a Mottled carrier - because all roosters did have Mottling - but not showing the color at this point. All the other chicks showed Mottling to some degree. Some obviously show a TON of white. Pretty impressive display of spots for such a large number of peeps!!!

I wish I were your neighbor! Those are some beauties there. On another note though the little red chicks I hatched out from the Spangled Aloha rooster appear to be mottling up. I just caught a small glance at them when I was out feeding. I'm going to try to take acliset look thus weekend and take a few pictures.

 

[Kev]

I agree, a lot of beauties there. The second picture of the one on a perch caught my eye.. looks promising for heavier type plus potential for mottling with no black...

No matter what happens, please keep a few NN as breeders?

As for your comment a bit ago, I have noticed demand for NN is not even, with periods of no contact, periods of occasional contact and then there are periods of extremely high interest. Some buyers will take only one- some because 'they are not too sure of the breed...'(they are not convinced they really are hardy<some are convinced they NEED sunblock.. sigh...> and can be productive etc), many came for something else but became interested in NN only after seeing them in person, and occasionally there will be someone so excited they buy all the available birds right on the spot.

I'm seeing a lot of pullets also in those pictures, btw.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Hey Everyone!

Check out these pics! I gave my neighbors over 20+ NN chicks, and look at them now!

Very good odds Fire Ant Farms will have a few like this:










My neighbor and I estimate at least 10 are for sure hens. Perhaps more, but that's all we felt strongly enough to call hens for sure at this point.

Over here, at my house, I have 23 in one batch that I'm raising, and another 9 in the batch of chicks right behind them. They are a few weeks younger, so haven't feathered out yet.

So excited to see how mine turn out!

You've got me so excited!!!!!!

They're all doing great, BTW. Totally adorable, as only NN chicks can be.

No matter what happens, please keep a few NN as breeders?

Yes, please?!

- Ant Farm