Atak-S Chicken: Traits, Egg Production, Care and Hardiness

Atak-S is the first commercial laying hybrid developed in Turkey. Unlike foreign-bred birds such as the Lohmann Brown, Atak-S was selected specifically for Turkey's climate and village conditions. It is the breed most asked about by free-range keepers and organic egg producers. In this guide we cover the Atak-S's origin, egg production, disease resistance, care and its most important trait when it comes to hatching chicks.

Origin: A Local Success Story

Atak-S was developed by the Poultry Research Institute in Ankara. Its genetic base is a cross of two classic breeds:

• Rhode Island Red (RIR) — a productive, hardy brown-egg layer
• Plymouth Rock (Barred Rock) — a large-bodied, calm, barred-feather bird

This cross was made not only for output but to produce a hen that could withstand Turkey's hot summers and cold winters. The result: a breed that lays in a closed coop and while roaming a garden alike.

The plumage is mostly black, with brown-gold flecks on the neck and breast. Adult weight is 2.0–2.5 kg — slightly larger and meatier than the Lohmann's 1.8–2.2 kg.

Egg Production in Numbers

Trait	Value
Point of lay	20-22 weeks (about 5-5.5 months)
Eggs per year	260-300
Egg weight	60-65 g
Egg colour	Light brown / cream
Daily feed intake	110-125 g
Peak production	Weeks 25-45

Atak-S is not as productive as the Lohmann's 300-320 eggs a year. But the gap is smaller than it looks: the Lohmann only delivers its high output on balanced feed in a controlled coop. A Lohmann that roams a garden, eats scraps and lives in an unheated winter coop struggles to hold its numbers, while the Atak-S drops far less under the same conditions. What matters is not the output on paper but the output under your conditions.

Disease Resistance and Climate Tolerance

The most talked-about trait of the Atak-S is its hardiness. Keepers consistently report a lower rate of illness than with commercial white/brown hybrids, and in particular less susceptibility to respiratory disease (CRD).

There are two reasons: (1) the RIR and Plymouth Rock in its genetic base are robust breeds that have lived in village conditions for centuries, and (2) the Atak-S was selected for balanced output plus hardiness, not for extreme output.

A caveat, though: "hardy" does not mean "no vaccination needed". Marek's, Newcastle and Gumboro vaccinations are essential for the Atak-S too. Hardiness is no substitute for good husbandry — you still have to follow coop biosecurity rules.

Care and Housing: It Wants to Roam

The Atak-S is active, curious and an excellent forager. That makes it ideal for free-range keeping and mediocre for a cage system. Kept in a closed, cramped space it both lays less and becomes more prone to pecking and cannibalism.

• Coop space: 0.3-0.4 m² per hen (plus the run)
• Run: at least 2-4 m² per hen — this is where the breed's advantage shows
• Nest boxes: one per 3-4 hens
• Perch: 18-20 cm per hen
• Light: 14-16 hours a day in lay

For coop structure and dimensions, see our guide to building a chicken coop.

Feeding

Even though the Atak-S forages while it roams, layer feed is essential for steady laying. Foraging supplements feed; it does not replace it.

• Layer feed: 16-18% protein, 110-125 g a day
• Calcium: oyster shell or limestone grit in a separate dish — for shell quality
• Grit: a roaming hen eats coarse material; keep grit available so the gizzard can grind it
• Water: clean and constant — a hen left without water stops laying immediately

The Key Difference: The Atak-S Goes Broody, and Its Chicks Can Be Sexed

In intensive commercial hybrids like the Lohmann, the brooding instinct has been bred out; those hens never go broody. In the Atak-S the instinct has not been fully lost: an Atak-S hen can go broody and sit on her eggs. That's a real advantage if you want natural incubation.

The second special advantage: the Atak-S is a sex-link hybrid. That means you can tell males from females as day-old chicks by their down and head markings — the males carry a light spot on the head. It saves you the "they all turned out roosters" surprise. See our guide on how to tell a chick's sex for detail.

One important warning: the Atak-S is an F1 hybrid. If you incubate eggs from your own Atak-S hens, the chicks will not be as productive as their parents and the sex-link colour rule breaks down. Hybrid offspring segregate genetically. To keep the stock quality you have to buy chicks or pullets from a producer. If you do want to hatch from your own eggs anyway, we set out the process step by step in our 21-day incubation guide; to avoid losing track of the days, the Kuluçka Takip app builds the calendar for you. You can check out the app here.

Pros and Cons

• + Adapted to the Turkish climate; tolerates heat and cold
• + Higher disease resistance than commercial hybrids
• + Ideal for free-range/organic production; an excellent forager
• + Can go broody → natural incubation is possible
• + Chicks can be sexed at a day old (sex-link)
• + Larger body; more meat value than the Lohmann once laying drops
• − Lower annual output than the Lohmann (260-300 vs 300-320)
• − Unhappy and less productive in a cramped, closed space
• − F1 hybrid: you can't breed the same quality from its own eggs
• − Feed intake slightly higher than the Lohmann's

Who Is It For?

The Atak-S suits you if: you have a garden or land, you want your hens to roam, you produce "village eggs", your coop is unheated, you can't give the flock constant attention, and you'd trade some output for hardiness.

The Lohmann may suit you better if: you have a closed, controlled coop, you feed balanced layer ration, and your only goal is the maximum number of eggs.

To compare the two breeds and the alternatives side by side, see our guide to choosing a laying or meat breed.