Behold the featherless chicken, created by Scientists at the genetics faculty at the Rehovot Agronomy Institute near Tel Aviv, Israel. The idea behind the development of this naked bird is that it will create a more 'convenient' and energy efficient chicken which can live in warm countries where feathered chickens don't do well and cooling systems are too expensive to be commonly affordable. Not growing feathers saves energy that can be used to grow meat.

Critics say the feather-free chickens will suffer more than normal birds. Males might be unable to mate, because they cannot flap their wings, and "naked" chickens of both sexes are more susceptible to parasites, mosquito attacks and sunburn.

The chicken is "disgusting", says Joyce D'Silva of Compassion in World Farming. "It's a prime example of sick science and the suggestion that it would be an improvement for developing countries is obscene."

"Factory farming is such an inappropriate technology for developing countries because it uses scarce resources like water, electricity and grain that could be used for human consumption, to produce meat that only the middle classes can afford."

The bird is not genetically modified - it comes from a natural breed whose characteristics have been known for 50 years. Read more at NewScientist.

See also: The tissue engineered Meat of Tomorrow, Fish Bowl - Ready Made Meal, Confetti Chicken, How to print an Organ.

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36 comments

  • what is your fucking issue bobby

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  • That’s literally soooooo ugly like kys slut

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  • RED

    LOL

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  • CJminth, Humans are Animals. The concepts you talked, such as murder, infanticide, incest and cannibalism are "wrong" in a cultural basis, not for nature. You mustn't forget that the way we Humans are today, our ability to think is much due to our Omnivore diet along evolution for thousands of centuries.

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  • This is to all you people who defend your practice of eating meat with the excuse that "other animals do it": What do you think human society would be like if we modeled our behavior after animals? Animals engage in murder, infanticide, incest, and cannibalism. Sound like good ideas to you?

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  • “Disgusting” is the right word, and it looks like is wearing white socks! http://www.webyaa.com/category/science

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  • frankly i'm concerned by vegans attacking people for eating meat. its not a very good argument if you tell someone to kill themselves i'm pretty sure your not winning over supporters. Secondly if you think eating meat is that inhumane you should go to a third world country so you have something significant to complain about.

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  • To vegan, You think we are cruel? What do you think of a predator in the wild stalking it's prey? Sometimes eating it while it is still alive? We are animals too. Would you be okay with it if we set the animals loose, stalked them, and killed them?

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  • That is so gross.

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  • HMN, Finger lickin efficient chicken!

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  • I think hes hella Cute. All stumpy and what not

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  • Hey could someone tell me when the next peta rally is. I want to save up some money and arrange my own counter rally. I'll be giving away free steaks as close to their rally, if not actualy in front of the podium, as I can get.

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  • It's not suffering. It's not chemical genetic manipulation god-science, it's natural genetics. People are too paranoid about the thought of us doing this. If we keep it up, we'll have drumsticks that grow on trees. No need for the chicken.

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  • I understand the confusion Oratio. Indeed the chicken was created in a genetics lab by Avigdor Cahaner of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. But he created the chicken by selectively crossing a breed with a naturally bare neck with a regular broiler chicken. -- The difference between cross breeding and genetic manipulations is that with genetic manipulation you consciously alter things on a gene level, whereas with cross breeding you just the select properies you want to emphasize, without being immediately aware which genes are involved.

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  • heh, i dont get it. the article seems to contradict itself. first it states that the chicken is created by scientists at a genetics lab, then in the end it says its a natural strain of breed. what is what? it cant be both. in either case there should be testing to see if this might be a good thing. there can never be right or wrong to eat meat. i am a vegetarian. it is my choice. if you wanna eat meat or not is not a general moral issue. its a personal one.

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  • Actually,the species,phylum and kingdom-dysmorphic vegans are the completely disgusting ones. If meat were not meant to be eaten, why does it taste so damned good ? You should all be ashamed. Go kill yourself

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  • mmmmm finger lickin good darn it

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  • Nie broniÄ™ Amerykanów, ale jakbyÅ› dobrze przeczytaÅ‚ (lub znaÅ‚ chociaż angielski), to byÅ› wiedziaÅ‚, że to nie oni to coÅ› stworzyli, tylko naukowcy z Izraela. ZresztÄ…, na samym koÅ„cu pisze, że ten ptak nie jest genetycznie modyfikowany, tylko odpowiednio krzyżowany gatunkowo. Dla mnie też to wszystko jest obrzydliwe, ale bluzganie na lewo i prawo nic nie da, oprócz tego, że ukazuje kulturÄ™ osobistÄ… ludzi w naszym kraju...

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  • Max

    Ja pieredolę... Czy wszyscy amerykanie są takimi pojebami jak wy ?? brak mi słów

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  • ian

    I love and raise chickens. But no matter how "Efficient" it is that is horrible and mean. FUCK THOSE SCIENTISTS!!!!!

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  • I have some roosters and for those of you who say it is cruel try taking care of a chicken and see just how bad it is for them chickens if the science world wants to remove the feathers for a happier life for those chicken then so be it. and for the dumb ass that said they pluck the chicken alive I hope you were joking or are you that stupid the chicken when you pluck it would be bleeding the feathers are a part of its living tisue that requires blood flow thats how I tell that has not been plucked dumb ass

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  • godddddddamnn that thing is ugly as hell look @ the legs and the wings and the ham looking thing on his head i am turning into a vegiterian i think they used that chicken here check it out (http://salmonella.co.uk/chicken-mcnugget.jpg)

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  • HOLY COW. I reckon they should make chickens 8 times the size they are now. Then we wouldn't have to kill so many all the time.

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  • WTF IS THAT FING YA MUM

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  • God damn Israelis

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  • this is completely disgusting and every single one of you who eats meat is disgusting yes our teeth, digestive systems, brains and in girls' cases reproductive systems are meant for someone with a meat-inclusive diet, but this is too far. it's horrible and cruel. the way in which all animals meant for food are killed is inhumane. you should all be ashamed. go kill yourself

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  • La

    I dont believe it! I think someone plucked him alive!!! Look- there are still tufts of feathers on his drumsticks!! I think it is cruel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • man i would like to eat that shit

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  • THATS THATS FUNNIEST THING IVE EVER SEEN! IM MAKING IT MY BACKROUND.... YOU SHOULD CHOP ITS HEAD OFF SO WE CAN WATCH IT RUN AROUND

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  • Thanks K, at least it is 4 out of 6 now... well, count me in 4 out of 7. Now i can only hope commenter number 8 will say some thing sensible about this ugly bird.

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  • K

    4 out of 5 of the posts have been made from morons. Can you tell which ones I'm talking about?

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  • CRUEL it has stumpy wings!

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  • WTF IS WITH THAT DUDE UGLLLYYYY LATERS BRO KILL THAT BIRD AND DONT FUKING PLAY GOD PEACE.

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  • Thats So Cool We Just Need To Figure Out How To Make Them So People Wont Be Able To Kill Them And Eat Them.

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  • i love chicken korma and so dus lizn tashy

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  • dats one fugly ass chicken that jus makes me not want 2 eat it n-e more

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