Four-legged chicken in China.

The farmer, Zhu, and his daughter, were so concerned by the discovery that they took the bird to local officials to see if they could shed any light on the creature that offered double the usual number of drumsticks. According the People’s Daily Online, which has published pictures of the bird, the hen was deemed edible, and is not thought to be suffering from any long-term health issues. And all four limbs function, meaning that the chicken can walk and run as well as any other. The four-legged feathered friend, however, while a rarity is not unique. Four-legged chickens have previously been reported in China, as well as in India, the U.S. and Thailand but, more often than not, the additional limbs are nonfunctional. Various theories have been put forward as to why the bird, dubbed “Frankenchicken,” may have hatched with the additional legs, including stress, shock or radioactivity.To date, it is the only four-legged chicken found on Zhu’s 10,000-head poultry farm in Shangdong Province, and it has become somewhat of a local celebrity with visitors lining up to photograph it. But its fame will be fleeting as the father and daughter have said that -- assuming it does not outrun them -- they will eat the bird, as to do otherwise would be a waste.Read more

AGRIBUSINESS: More light at night reduces daytime heat stress in broilers.

AGRIBUSINESS: More light at night reduces daytime heat stress in broilers. Extended lighting periods help boost welfare and production of big broilers during high seasonal temperatures, a University of Georgia study showed. “The birds are going to eat the same amount of feed per day, so if you extend the lighting period, they have more time to eat, spreading out the digestive process which also produces heat,” Brian Fairchild, PhD, poultry extension scientist, told Poultry Health Today. A couple more hours of power usage are not significant,” he added, pointing to today’s low-energy LED bulbs. “But leaving the lights on until midnight or 1 am does have a large impact on bird comfort and welfare.” Read more