
Description:
The naked neck gene in chickens stops the bird from growing feathers in the neck (and sometimes vent), giving it a plucked or naked look to the upper portion of the bird. There will usually be some feather growth on the top of the head, and then bare skin down to the beginning of the breast. (1)
The naked neck gene was originally thought to be linked to the pea comb gene and blue egg gene when it was first written about in 1914, however this has since been proven false (2). All recognized Naked Necks in the United States are currently single combed (3).
In heterozygous form, or with only one copy of the gene, the bird will have a "bowtie" look of several feathers grouped together at the bottom of the neck (2), which isn't seen in homozygous form (with two copies of the gene).
The gene is also proven to help birds prevent heat stress and regulate their body in high temperatures (4). It is sometimes used in broiler or other production chickens near the tropics to prevent heat deaths and make it easier to pluck (5).
The APA recognizes the Naked Neck (also called Turken) as its own breed in both largefowl and bantam. (3) However, the gene can also be found on several other chicken breeds and varieties, including the Showgirl, the nickname given to a silkie with a naked neck.
Naked Neck is incomplete dominant, meaning that it can be seen differently in both one copy and two copy forms of the gene. For this chart, the heterozygous (one copy) form is called bowtie.
Breeding with Naked Necks:
Naked Neck x Naked Neck = 100% Naked Neck
Naked Neck x non-NN = 100% bowtie.
Naked Neck x Bowtie = 50% Naked Neck, 50% Bowtie
Bowtie x Bowtie = 25% Naked Neck, 50% Bowtie, 25% non-NN
Bowtie x non-NN = 50% Bowtie, 50% non-NN.
References & Further Reading
Desta, T. T. (2021). The genetic basis and robustness of naked neck mutation in chicken. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 53(1), 95.
Merat, P. (1986). Potential usefulness of the Na (naked neck) gene in poultry production. World's Poultry Science Journal, 42(2), 124-142.
American Poultry Association. (2023). American Standard of Perfection (45th ed.)
Yahav, S., Luger, D., Cahaner, A., Dotan, M., Rusal, M., & Hurwitz, S. (1998). Thermoregulation in naked neck chickens subjected to different ambient temperatures. British Poultry Science, 39(1), 133-138
Islam, M. A., and M. Nishibori. "Indigenous naked neck chicken: a valuable genetic resource for Bangladesh." World's Poultry Science Journal 65.1 (2009): 125-138.
Pitel, F., Bergé, R., Coquerelle, G. et al. Mapping the Naked Neck (NA) and Polydactyly (PO) mutants of the chicken with microsatellite molecular markers. Genet Sel Evol 32, 73 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1186/1297-9686-32-1-73
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