We bred them for a number of years when we operated Old Macdonald’s Travelling Farms around Western Australia. They had shock value! People were often critical of the way our chickens looked because they appeared to be missing their feathers and assumed they had been attacked by something in the farm, such as a piglet! We had great pleasure in declaring that the “chickens are not sick, they are Transylvanian Naked Necks and that’s exactly how they’re meant to look”.

Of all the breeds we kept for the farm, the naked necks were one of the most talked about!

The laundry had an incubator as well. My friend candled an egg (held a torch to the egg so that you can see the embryo inside). The boys in were awe of being able to see a chick moving inside its egg. Great stuff! Reminded me of why we run U Can Hatch Us – so all children and adults can see this.

The chickens are called hy-lines and they are bred specifically for laying. We find them to be a very friendly breed and, of course, great layers. We would certainly recommend this breed. People who book our hatching display are allowed to keep some of the chicks (as long as the keeping of chickens is permitted in their council area).