The Naked Neck is some times called a "turken" but is actually a regular breed of chicken. It is a falsity that they are part turkey. The name "turken" is a nickname because of the bare skin on its neck and that they seem to resemble a turkey! They originally came from Germany.They were bred in the beginning for the fact that they had less feathers to pick for slaughtering.
  The ABA Standard says: The information on a (Turken) which is called Naked Neck and in Bantams weighs cock-30 ozs, hen-27 ozs, cockerels-27 ozs and pullet-24 ozs. They have a single comb and are clean legged. They also have regular back, wing and tail feathers like any other Single Comb Clean Leg Bantam.
  The American Bantam Standard, on page 127, shows a picture and states this: Origin- Germany, American Status not common. They are sometimes incorrectly referred to as a Turken. They come in Black, Blue, Buff, Cuckoo, Red, White and Naked Neck Bantams. Disqualifications any indications of feathers having been removed from the bare area.(meaning if showed some people will pull feathers instead of breeding clean naked area) Crooked Keel or breastbone. Absence of spurs on Cock or any semblance of spurs on the cockerels. Defects Beefy or Oversized comb, sharp, narrow head, Pendant and oversized wattle and ear lobes. Absence of tufted effect at base of neck where feathers start. narrowness of breast, Wing carried too low and loose, Soft and or narrow feathering, Stubs (feathers on the legs) absence of (no bare area).

DESCRIPTION OF BIRDS

  The Standard says EAR LOBES small oval smooth: Head broad, round: Brow sparse feathered over brow and top of head.
   NECK forming a slight elongated S-curve, skin smooth, naturally devoid of feathers from base of head to and including the cape area of body. A slight tendency toward feather stubble on front side of neck, although absence of same should be given preference. At the bottom of neck there should be a sort of frill decorated in front by the tuft of feathers, giving a contrast between the bare skin and the plumage. A considerable section of the crop should be visible.
   BACK medium length and width sloping slightly to tail well feathered. SADDLE (MALE) FEATHERS CONCEALING WING TIPS, WELL FEATHERED. CUSHION (FEMALE) FEATHERS BROAD, WELL FEATHERED.
   TAIL main tail feathers broad, medium length, moderately spread, carried at an angle of 40 > degrees above the horizontal. Sickles and lesser sickles (Male) good length, well curved. Coverts (Male) nicely curved. (Female) good width and length.
   WINGS Moderately long carried well up and above lower thighs. Shoulders & Fronts conspicuously, due to the absence of neck and cape feathers with some tendency toward bare spots.
   BOWS Moderately rounded. Coverts broad forming two distinct bars across wings. Primaries medium width, rather long, concealed by secondaries, Secondaries medium width, broad, tapering convexly to stern.
   BREAST Round, full, carried forward to a perpendicular line drawn from point of beak, scantily feathered, but breast should be covered.
   BODY & STERN Body medium length and depth with a somewhat oblong appearance . Stern fluff, soft and scantily feathered.
   LEGS & TOES Legs medium length straight when seen from front, lower thighs medium length, moderately broad at top and tapering neatly to hocks
   SHANKS medium length round, evenly scaled Spur (Male) small, hard, set low. Toes four straight, medium length, well and evenly spread.

APPEARANCE: Alert and aggressive.

There is a photo of a Naked Neck Frizzle on http://www.g-kexoticfarms.com and click on National Frizzle club of America, then click on photo information.

TO FRIZZLE THIS BREED

(A-1 Well the ideal situation is to mate to a Rock frizzle and then go with that to the point of using the frizzle naked neck the second year with the most naked necked frizzle off spring. I would not use the Rock any more. it was just for the frizzling.

(A-2 There will be not as much to breed out of them as these are a single combed bird.

Then one would take the smooths out of the 3rd year ( birds with frizzle/smooth genes) and put on a good frizzle Naked Neck male from this breeding.

Also one could make a frizzle breeding to a regular naked neck cock.

Also there can be the frizzle naked neck to the frizzle naked neck. By the 4th season you should have them looking pretty much like the naked neck but with frizzle feathers.

(B-1 If one has to use the Cochin Frizzle it is much more work. First year get a naked neck cock and cochin female frizzle. (this way the genes for smallness are in the female cochin) As the Naked Neck is a smaller bird.

(B-2 the second year take the best frizzled females and put on the regular feathered Naked Neck. You will have to breed out the Stubs( the assemblance of feathers on the shanks sticking straight backwards from the leg) from the Cochin influence. Never needing the cochin again. You will have to breed the slender broad body of the Naked Neck into the Frizzles, not the rounded body of Cochins. Also the extended tail feathers of the Naked Neck not the rounded tail feathers of the Cochin. So now take and keep breeding the frizzle to frizzle for a third year and a mating of the Naked neck smooths to frizzle and the regular feathered naked Neck to the frizzle. Here would be at least three families going. DON'T DISCARD THE SMOOTHS (HALD NAKED NECK & HALF FRIZZLE BUT SMOOTH FEATHERS) they need to be bred to the frizzle birds coming out of the matings.

Now the 4th year I would not continue to breed the frizzle to frizzle as you should be getting a good amount of the frizzle gene in them. Now if continuing that way you will get narrow and wispy feathers and not good frizzles.
   Also yes I raised them. Nice birds, males are very aggressive though. That is why most breeders keep them to them selves. Maybe the fact that the birds are devoid of feathers in their head and chest area makes them defensive!! They are sharp little creatures and very novel to observe.

Bernard Kelloge in Wisconsin for years and years raised the regular naked neck bantams.

But of course I had to frizzle one!! Any information can be gotten from http://www.nationalpoultrynews.com

America P.O.Box 1647, Easley SC 29641 Dues are $7.50 a yr and 4 newsletters. my email is frizzlebird@yahoo.com or nationalpoultrynews@yahoo.com

Glenda L. Heywood

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