Tel Aviv – Israeli scientists have bred a featherless chicken. Although featherless chickens look quite terrifying, poultry farm owners in many countries have shown keen interest in the birds because they will not need to be plucked.
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According to the scientists who have bred the new species, these birds cause no harm to people’s heath. Moreover, they grow faster, and their meat is low fat.
According to the head of the project, Professor Avigdor Cahaner, at the Agricultural Institute in Rehvot, Israel, such birds have more advantages because there will be no need to install air conditioners for them in warmer countries. However, the genetic scientist admits that the new species of chickens are unlikely to adapt to cold climates. Consequently, breeding bald chicken in Scandinavian countries or Russia would be quite difficult.
The opponents of the new species have accused the Israeli scientists of having created a genetically modified chicken.
But the scientists dismiss these charges and insist that the new chicken comes from a natural breed.
Russian experts have found another serious drawback, “When pairing the rooster may injure the hen with its nails and beak because it has no feathers on the head and the neck. Even now, the nails of two of the rooster’s fingers have to be cut off in order to prevent him from injuring the hen.
The ida of a featherless chicken was studies here in the U.S. back in the late 1970s during the first oil embargo. The focus back then was on reducing the amount of natural gas used to clean the feathers off the chickens. A University of Delaware study (DE produces more chickens than any other state) however shot down the idea by showing that on a net energy used basis, there was more fuel needed to heat the chicken coops in the winter to keep featherless chickens warm than the energy saved by not having to burn off the feathers after schecting.
maybe good for farmers not so sure about the chicken.
Stay tuned. Next…..a rooster without nails.
Why is the news source “Voice of Russia”? You’d expect such a story to come from JPost, Arutz7, Yediot Achronot, Maariv etc? Why the Russian?
I think the Russians are scared that if the chicken come to fruition they will lose a lot of jobs and feather pluckers. Just a hunch!!
What will happen to the feather pillow industry?
I couldn’t be happier. For reasons of kashrus, kosher chickens come from the butcher in a disgusting state, full of pin feathers and hair; it’s a wonder they don’t fly right out of the sink. Chicken, which is considered a quick to prepare nutritious meal by everyone else, is a time-consuming burden for the kosher cook.
I’m not so sure its still kosher for many reasons
What about boneless chicken?
Does that mean an end to fluffy down quilts?
Will this create problems for Sofrim who write?
Will the low fat meat pluck (pun intended) profits from weight watchers?
I think I agree with ben #8 . It 217;s cruel and unnatural. Look at the situation with breeding and they are probably susceptible to skin diseases and maybe even sunburn so they have to be kept inside and fed large doses of antibiotics which isn 217;t good for the chickens or for us.
can’t wait for kaporos !
Birds of a featherless flock apart?
Next guy is gonna invent rogain for chickens. What about a feathery egg? Thats something i would buy.
This reminds me of the comedy bit about the development of the seedless watermelon. Sure, people are dying of heart disease and cancer, but those scientists decided to devote themselves to people not having to spit out watermelon seeds! ditto for the feather plucking!
This will also make spotting treifos more easily. Many broken limbs and blood spots on chickens come from the batons used to beat the feathers off the chickens. (goyim are able to duck the chicken in hot water and the feathers come right off). Without the beatings, there will be many more less shailos with chickens, making the actual treifos much easier to spot.
Does this mean that kosher and non-kosher chicken prices will drop as less labor is involved in processing them or does this now mean that pillow and comforter prices will go up?
Bypassing shechita altogether has been tried up here. Didn’t go over well. Let’s just stick to good old fashion regular feathered and shechted chicken.
Well if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
When the Eida Hachareidis B’datz Yerushalayim certifies it as kosher I’ll believe its kosher.