River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1925-08-06
Two New Breeds"
Are Investigated
Believed That "Turken" Is
Nothing Else Than Tran
sylvania Naked-Neck.

There Is no lure like that of the
cross of widely separated species of
animals and birds. That nature
frowns on such crosses is evidenced by
the failure Of repeated and persistent
experiments under favorable condi-
lions. Where progeny has followed vio-
lent crossings, it is sterile as a rule.
The Department of Agriculture has is
sued a press release in this connection,
which is as follows:
"The United States Department Of
Agriculture has received many re-
quests from all parts of the country
for information concerning two so
called new breeds" of poultry, the
'Turken' and the 'Kiwi.' The depart
ment has been aware of advertisements
concerning these new and novel
breeds for which some rather re-
markable claims have been made. The
advertisements and literature describ-
ing the origin and qualities of these
breeds seem to have aroused much
interest on the part of the public, since
the department has receivd several
urgent requests for an explanation re-
garding the reliability Of the claims
made.
How "Turken" Was Produced.
"The statements in the advertise
ments and literature claim that the
'turl1en' was originally produced by
crossing a male turkey with female
chicken, and that the XVII was pro-
duced by crossing male ostrich with a
female chicken.
Successful crosses have been made
between the pheasant and the chicken,
and in practically every case the prog
eny has been of the male sex and
sterile. Also, successful crosses have
been made between the guinea and the
chicken, and here again the sex of the
progeny has almost invariably been
male and the hybrids have been sterile.
Both of these crosses have been made
with great difficulty and, so far as
known, no cross giving any progeny
has ever been reported between the
turkey and the chicken. Furthermore,
1t is highly improbable that the prog
eny, If any have ever been secured.
would breed at all, and certainly not
readily. In such wide or violent
crosses the progeny is always sterile,
and the claim for the "Turken,' which
is reported to be the hybrid progeny
of cross between the turkey and the
chicken, is in all probability not found
ed on fact.
Is Naked-Necked Chicken.
zone other point must be made con-
corning the so-called "Turken.' The
illustrations accompanying the adver-
tisements and literature are in all prob
ability photographs Of the Transyl-
vanla Naked-neck chickens. Accord
ing to the best. information obtainable
this odd-looking breed originated in
West India, and the characteristic
naked neck has bred true for many
years. 1t is distinct character of the
breed The department believes that
the So-called Turken' is nothing else
than the Pennsylvania Naked-neck
chicken, which apparently possesses
no qualities superior to the more i'm
portant standard breeds and varieties,
and has not been shown to be par
ticularly well adapted to conditions in
many parts Of our country.
"As far as the reported cross CIV
ing rise to the 'Kiwi' is concerned, there
Is much less evidence to support such
a cross than in the case of the
'Turken.' This is too violent cross
to produce any results whatever.
"The burden of proof that such
crosses as those giving rise to the
'Turken and the 'Kiwi' must remain
with the sponsors of such novel produc-
tions. In the meantime the interests
Of the public should be safeguarded."