Turken chickens, also known as Transylvanian Naked Necks or simply Naked Necks, are an unusual chicken breed known for their lack of feathers on their necks and chests. Despite their bizarre appearance, Turkens have many positive qualities that make them a great addition to a backyard flock. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about Turken chickens.
Origins and History
Turken chickens originated in Transylvania, the central region of Romania. They were likely bred there in the 19th century before spreading across Europe to countries like Germany, France, and Austria.
Some historians believe they may have originated even earlier in Asia before being refined into the breed we know today in Europe, Their unique genetics that cause the partial nakedness have been traced back thousands of years to ancestral jungle fowl in regions like Malaysia,
The breed first became known internationally when examples were exhibited at the International Agricultural Show in Vienna in 1875. Their unusual appearance immediately grabbed attention
In America, myths spread that Turkens were some sort of mutant cross between a turkey and chicken, hurting their popularity. Only recently has the breed made a resurgence in the United States backyard chicken scene.
Appearance
The most obvious characteristic of Turken chickens is their lack of feathers on their necks, breasts, and vents. Their necks appear bright red on roosters and pinkish white on hens.
Instead of having a full plumage, Turkens only have around 40-50% of the feathers of a normal chicken. Underneath their sparse feathers, their skin also contains less fat.
These chickens have small tufts of feathers on the top of their heads. Their beaks and legs are typically yellow along with reddish bay eyes. You can find Turken chickens in colors like black, blue, cuckoo, buff, white, red, and more.
Standard sizes are around 8.5 pounds for roosters and 6.5 pounds for hens. Bantam Turkens weigh about 34 ounces and 30 ounces respectively. Despite their partial nakedness, they are hardy birds.
Temperament
For a chicken with such an odd appearance, Turkens have very sweet personalities. Most are docile, friendly, and enjoy human interaction. They will happily sit on their keeper’s lap for pets and cuddles.
Turkens are also active foragers that love free ranging. They are intelligent and entertaining to watch as they scratch and explore their environment. The hens can be quite talkative with their typical chicken vocalizations.
The roosters can be territorial over their flock of hens so it’s best to maintain a higher hen to rooster ratio. Overall though, Turkens integrate well into mixed breed flocks when properly introduced.
Egg Laying
Turken hens lay a moderate number of eggs, around 150-200 light brown eggs per year. They start laying eggs around 6 months of age. The exact number of eggs for a particular hen depends on factors like diet, environment, and genetics.
Some strains of Turkens are more prolific layers while others may take more breaks from egg laying. Their egg production holds up well in hot and cold weather when other breeds often drop off.
Turken hens also readily go broody and make excellent mothers. However, they can only cover about 6-10 eggs at once underneath them due to their lack of feathers.
Meat Production
Along with eggs, Turken chickens also make a great dual purpose breed raised for meat. Their unique genetics allows them to use feed more efficiently to build muscle instead of growing feathers.
Turkens tolerate hot weather extremely well and maintain quick growth rates. They are ready for processing around only 8-12 weeks. The meat is praised for having a delicious flavor and texture.
Their lack of feathers also makes them the easiest chickens to pluck after processing. There are very few feather follicles left in the skin.
Care Tips
Housing
- Provide each Turken with at least 4 square feet of coop floor space
- Have one nesting box for every 3-4 hens that is 12″ x 12″ x 18″
- Allow 8-10 inches of roosting space per chicken
- Aim for 8-10 square feet per bird in the run if confined
Feeding
- Chicks need a 20% protein starter feed for the first 8 weeks
- Grower feed should contain 18-19% protein
- Lower protein layer feed of 15-17% protein once mature
- Provide oyster shell calcium supplement
Health
- Hardy chickens but monitor for typical pests like lice and mites
- Provide shade and sun protection since their skin can burn
- Some petroleum-based products may irritate their exposed skin
Weather
- Tolerate heat very well due to lack of insulation from feathers
- Can withstand cold temperatures but comb is prone to frostbite
- Ensure access to water in both hot and freezing weather
Turken chickens certainly look different than your average backyard chicken but they have many positive attributes. They are low maintenance, dual purpose birds that lay plenty of eggs and provide meat. Their quirky personalities and antics will make you laugh. If you’re looking for a unique addition to your flock, Turkens just may be the right fit!
Conservation of the Breed
In the 1930s, examples of native Hungarian hens, including those from Transylvania (which by now was part of Romania), were collected at the research institute at Gödöllő, Hungary. The gene bank’s aim was to protect historical breeds, through standardization of colors and body shape and improvement of egg production and body size, while preserving meat quality. These lines were propagated successfully and distributed throughout the country and abroad.
Although most of their stocks were destroyed in the Second World War, breed scientists managed to restore a large population by the 1950s of Buff, Cuckoo, and White varieties. However, even small farms began to replace their stock with imported hybrids during the 1960s. A government breeding authority stepped in during the 1970s to ensure preservation of heritage poultry breeds. The baton was passed to NGOs in the 1990s, with university and government support.
A breeders’ association, the Gödöllő research center, two Hungarian universities, and several private farms work together to preserve the breed. Equally in Constanța, Romania, original lines were recovered in the late 1960s and preserved.
The APA recognized the Naked Neck in 1965. Recently, the National Naked Neck Breeders Society and their Facebook group have been set up to help breeders meet the standard.
Worldwide, both turken hen and turken rooster of many types have been found to cope well with heat. Research has focused on the effect of the gene for the naked neck trait on heat tolerance in commercial hybrids (both broilers and layers). Encouraging results suggest that lines with the gene adapt better to high temperatures and can maintain production. In addition, they save the energy needed for feather production in favor of growth and egg formation. Consequently, the naked-neck gene has been incorporated into both intensively-farmed hybrids and pasture-based regional types, such as the “Label Rouge” hybrids of France and the Pirocón Negro of Venezuela.
CONSERVATION STATUS: Although turken chickens are widespread and numerous worldwide, the Transylvanian landrace is under protection. In Romania, under 100 females and 20 males were purebred in each variety, as registered in Constanța in 1993, although their progeny is in the thousands. In Hungary there were over 4,000 of each variety in 2021, compared to 566 Black, 521 Cuckoo, and 170 White in 1994.
The Sublime Heat-Tolerance of the Naked Neck Chicken
Reading Time: 6 minutes
BREED: A Turken chicken has little or no plumage on the neck, giving an appearance similar to a turkey.
ORIGIN: This gene is present in many native chickens worldwide, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. It is likely to have originated in Asia. The founding population best known to breeders in Europe and America is the Transylvanian Naked Neck from the plateau surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, in Romania. [optin-monster-shortcode id=”e9huclfjt4oy1ak6ifrp”]
Archaeological finds of small-bodied chickens in the Carpathian Basin date back to the first century BCE. Chicken keeping must have already been common in the region before Magyars moved in at the turn of the tenth century. Magyars may have also brought fowl from the steppe east of the Carpathian Mountains. During Ottoman Empire rule (1541–1699), larger, red-eared Asian chickens were introduced. These may be the source of the naked neck gene which spread through Transylvania, Serbia, and Bosnia. Later, poultry arrived from western countries, during the Habsburg reign of Austria-Hungary. All of these influences melded to form the Transylvanian breed. Over centuries, the birds adapted to the damp, temperate climate, while foraging at range in the valleys and hilly plains.
About Turken chickens for backyard pets and flocks
FAQ
Is a Turken a cross between a turkey and a chicken?
What is the point of a Turken?
Uses. The Transylvanian Naked Neck is a dual-purpose bird for eggs and meat.
Are Turken chickens rare?
Are Turken chickens good?
They have a mild temperament and are affordable, with chicks costing around $2 each in mixed gender batches. Available in many colors, Turkens are good egg layers and can reach up to eight pounds, making them suitable for both egg and meat production.