On the outskirts of the medieval town of Sighisoara, in the tiny hamlet of Angofa, farmer Mircea Tant has taken on a mission that goes far beyond traditional poultry farming. Through years of selective breeding and conservation work, he is helping preserve one of Romania's most distinctive elements of agricultural heritage: the Transylvanian Naked Neck, the country's only native chicken breed officially recognized at the international level.

A farmer, breeder and enthusiast, Tant serves as president of both the Romanian Transylvanian Naked Neck Breeders Association and the Sighisoara Association of Purebred Poultry and Small Animal Breeders, founded in 1896 and regarded as the oldest organization of its kind in southeastern Europe.

'I am a farmer in the Angofa area and a breeder of pedigree poultry, specifically the Transylvanian Naked Neck. It is a rustic breed, known since 1875 as the naked-neck chicken and later named the Transylvanian Naked Neck. It is the only Romanian breed recognized internationally,' Tant told AGERPRES. 'We have around 48 members in our association, each keeping between 10 and 100 birds.'

At his farm, he tends nearly 150 birds from the breed, maintaining genetic lines that have survived for more than a century despite increasing pressure from industrial poultry production.

According to Tant, the breed's distant origins may lie far to the east.

'It is believed that its genetics migrated from eastern Turkey, from ancient Persia, brought to our lands by nomadic populations. But the breed's official birth certificate on the world stage bears the imprint of historical Transylvania,' he said.

The breed's rise to international fame began in 1875, when two women from the Sighisoara area introduced the unusual birds at the Vienna World Exhibition.

'A Saxon woman from Dumbraveni and a German woman from Albesti were the ones who took these strange but fascinating birds to the great exhibition in Vienna. The impact was huge. The birds from Transylvania quickly won over audiences in Europe's major capitals, appearing successfully in Paris in 1880 and later in London in 1900 under the flag of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although it was presented by a Saxon and a German woman at the time, it remained our chicken, one cherished by Romanians,' he said.

The bird's unusual appearance remains its defining feature. Its neck is entirely free of feathers, leaving reddish skin exposed and giving it an exotic look that has intrigued breeders for generations. Yet its value extends far beyond appearances.

Tant explains that the anatomy of the Transylvanian Naked Neck makes it especially practical for rural households.

Photo credit: Mircea Tant

'In this breed, feathers do not grow uniformly across the entire body. They are distributed only in pterylae, specific epidermal bands where contour feathers develop. Between those bands are apteria, completely featherless areas of skin,' he explained.

This trait offers a significant advantage in traditional farming.

'The bird can be plucked extremely quickly and easily after slaughter. On top of that, it shows remarkable precocity, with pullets beginning to lay eggs as early as four months of age, and it is renowned for its exceptionally tender and tasty meat.'

The breed's admirable qualities come with a strong personality.

'They are very rebellious and combative birds. The roosters in particular mature quickly and start fighting each other at just four or five months. If you keep other breeds with them, the Naked Neck tends to dominate and immediately picks a fight,' Tant explained.

The Angofa flock currently consists of 146 birds distributed among three recognized color varieties: black, which is the most widespread and robust; white; and barred, the striking pattern that captivated visitors in Vienna in the late nineteenth century.

Tant's dedication to breeding standards has also earned him recognition far beyond Romania. He recently qualified as a European poultry judge, reaching the highest level in the hierarchy of avian competition judging.

Romania currently boasts five judges of this rank within the national federation, alongside national-level and club-level judges beginning their careers.

At major exhibitions, such as the international event held in Trencín on September 20, 2026, where Tant served on the judging panel, each bird is assessed according to a detailed evaluation sheet.

'The first criterion examines the bird's qualities and conformity to the breed standard: body position, leg and wing structure, the shape of the head, comb and beak,' he explained.

'The second criterion identifies characteristics that can be improved through future selection, such as a better-arranged tail or a more developed chest as the bird matures. The final criterion focuses on defects, penalizing atypical conformations or mechanical faults, such as a broken toe or a twisted tail feather.'

Years of careful selection have produced impressive results. One of Tant's hens was crowned European Champion at Nitra last year, bringing international recognition to his breeding program.

More recently, another pullet from his farm, a black variety bird, won the title of International Champion at an exhibition, adding to a growing collection of national and club distinctions.

For breeders, such titles represent more than prestige.

'Beyond the moral satisfaction, these awards bring practical recognition. The higher a bird scores on the judging sheet, the greater its financial and genetic value becomes, helping ensure the sustainability of the bloodline,' Tant said.

Yet despite its hardiness and proven qualities, the breed faces an uncertain future.

'Because of strictly economic considerations driven by the rise of highly productive industrial hybrids, more and more Romanian farmers are abandoning traditional breeds,' he warned.

To raise awareness of the issue, the association led by Tant recently organized a European club exhibition in Sighisoara. The event marked two anniversaries at once: 150 years since the breed's official recognition and a tribute to the two pioneering breeders from Dumbraveni and Albesti, who first presented the birds to the world in 1875.

For local enthusiasts, each exhibition, each judging sheet and each chick hatched in Angofa represents another step in safeguarding a rare piece of Romanian heritage.

'They are the people who refuse to let the Transylvanian Naked Neck become nothing more than a dusty illustration in livestock-history books,' said young breeder and enthusiast Radu Nechit, and added: 'They remind us that a nation's identity is also preserved through protecting the living treasures of its land.' AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Dorina Matis; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)