Scientists create pre-plucked chicken

This is London via Drudge ^ | 21 May 2002 | George Wright

[SolitaryMan]

Scientists create pre-plucked chicken
by George Wright

A new breed of "naked" chicken created by scientists in the search for tastier, healthier poultry has angered animal rights campaigners.

'Monster': the featherless chicken

Despite its bizarre appearance, the red-skinned broiler could become a supermarket success because it is designed to grow faster and contain less fat than normal chickens. It will also be cheaper to produce since its lack of feathers means there is no need to pluck it before it hits the shelves.

The new, genetically modified breed was reared by Israeli genetics expert Avigdor Cahaner, of the Rehovot Institute near Tel Aviv. He said it would grow faster in hot weather because it was not prone to over-heating like normal chickens, whose growth rate drops when they get too warm.

He said: "That's why the growth rate of broilers is significantly lower in hot seasons and why poultry meat is expensive in hot countries."

Mr Cahaner claims the birds produce leaner meat because no feathers means less subcutaneous fat, and farming them would be less damaging to the environment because poultry farmers would not have to use ventilation to prevent chickens overheating.

He said: "Feathers are a waste. The chickens are using feed to produce something that has to be dumped and the farmers have to waste electricity to overcome the fact."

Animal rights campaigners condemned the plan.

Adrian Bebb of Friends of the Earth said: "This is scientists tampering with our food again just to make it even cheaper. I think it will have a traumatic effect on animals and the public will be horrified."

Spencer Fitzgibbon, of the Green Party, said: "It's a monster of an animal. We should be working with nature, not against it. The bottom line is profit, but it should be animal welfare."

[SolitaryMan]

Reminds me of The Far Side cartoon 'Boneless Chicken Farm.'

[billybudd]

Bring on the naked chicks!

[RoseofTexas]

OH MY, I don't think I'll ever touch another piece of fried chicken again...that things looks NASTY!! Bring on the feathers!

[eno_]

Ya they could have made the skin less alarming looking. Dinosaur scales would have been cool!

[ICE-FLYER]

That is one seriously double coyote critter.

[ICE-FLYER]

Double coyote UGLY critter, that is.

[JRandomFreeper]

ping for good chicken.

[Cagey]

This looks like something Rebelbase might serve for dinner if he can't get his hands on a pizza.

[SBeck]

As Ahnold would say, "you're one ugly mufuu*&%." (From "Predator").

[demoCRAPS_SUCK]

They did not create a pre-plucked chicken!! I bet thats one of those Chickens from the Russian Chernobyl Reactor Incident on 1986, after 16 years of living in that area they would look alot like that...I bet they are pre-cooked also....

[Senator Pardek]

OY! The wings and thighs actually look like wings and thighs!

[FreedomPoster]

I'm doing a cousulting gig at the country's 3rd largest poultry company. I can't *wait* to forward this to the guys at the office.

[FreedomPoster]

cousulting consulting

Doh!

[elbucko]

Don't let CA's Governor Gray Davis find out about this. He is fixin' to pluck the taxpayers of the Golden State as soon as its politically viable. Gawd! If he finds out the citizens can be "Pre-Plucked" will anyone be safe?

[Britton J Wingfield]

You could get one tattooed!

[Radioactive]

Now if only they could get rid of those damned chicken lips and then they'd really have something.

And can this chicken cross the road? Because he sure looks like a cross between a chicken and a possum! And we all know that possums can't make it across any road anywhere.

[TC Rider]

Now if they could just ingrain them with a desire to puke up their guts and self immolate at the sight of a hungry person we could solve the homeless problem.

I know if I had to watch that process in order to avoid starving, I'd get a job.

[callthemlikeyouseethem]

The "chicken" in the photo doesn't look anything like the unfeathered chickens I saw on Fox this morning. Something about the silver legs tells me this isn't a genuine photo and that it might have something to do with activists who choose to pluck their own...LOL...:)

[Uncle Meat]

GOOD GOD.It was only a matter of time.Now they really gone and did it.They created FRANKENCHICKEN.RUN FOR THE HILLS.

[Radioactive]

Quick---kill it--------choke that chicken!!!!!!!!