poultry breed : New Hampshire Red

 Skin Color: Yellow.

 Egg Shell Color: Brown.

 Use: A dual purpose chicken, selected more for meat production than egg production. Medium heavy in weight, it dresses a nice, plump carcass as either a broiler or a roaster.

 Origin: New Hampshires are a relatively new breed, having been admitted to the Standard in 1935. They represent a specialized selection out of the Rhode Island Red breed. By intensive selection for rapid growth, fast feathering, early maturity and vigor, a different breed gradually emerged. This took place in the New England states-chiefly in Massachusetts and New Hampshire from which it takes its name.

Characteristics: They possess a deep, broad body, grow feathers very rapidly, are prone to go broody and make good mothers. Most pin feathers are a reddish buff in color and, therefore, do not detract from the carcass appearance very much. The color is a medium to light red and often fades in the sunshine. The comb is single and medium to large in size; in the females it often lops over a bit. These good, medium sized meat chickens have fair egg laying ability. Some strains lay eggs of a dark brown shell color. New Hampshires are competitive and aggressive. They were initially used in the Chicken of Tomorrow contests, which led the way for the modern broiler industry.
 

 Reference:

Chicken Breeds and Varieties (A2880), John L. Skinner, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Images:

Dr. Joe Berry, Department of Animal Science, Oklahoma State University

 Original Article Here

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poultry breed : Turken

The Transylvania Naked Neck is often called Turken. Some people think it is a cross between a chicken and a turkey because of the unfeathered area on the neck. This skin turns red when exposed to the sun, further paralleling the turkey. However, this is actually the result of a single gene that affects the arrangement of feather-growing tracts over the chicken's body. It can be easily introduced into any breed. Turkens have no feathers on a broad band between the shoulders and the base of the skull. They also have a reduced number of feathers on their bodies but this is not evident until the bird is handled. Turkens should be given protection from extremely cold temperatures as they have far less insulation than their normally feathered cousins. This characteristic is a novel feature that does not detract from the utility of the bird.

 Reference:

Chicken Breeds and Varieties (A2880), John L. Skinner, University of Wisconsin-Madison
 

Photographs:

 Mt. Healthy Hatcheries, Inc., 9839 Winton Road, Mt. Healthy, Ohio 45231 Phone: (513) 521-6900

 Original Article Here

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