Spherical Chickens
There is an urban legend that KFC was attempting to genetically engineer spherical chickens. The idea was that they're easier to raise, have more meat, and less risk of pecking each other to death. Supposedly that's why they changed their name to KFC - if the critters they're cooking aren't technically chickens, they can't use the word in their name.
Turns out the whole thing's completely bogus, but it got me thinking. The idea of genetically modified sphere chickens probably makes most animal rights activists apoplectic, but I say, "It's about time." This is what science is all about.
I would love to have a spherical chicken. It dates back to these blown glass chickens I once saw in a gallery. It seemed to capture the very essence of chicken-ness. A sphere, with a beak on one end and a tail on the other. I've included a picture of them below. Are those cool or what?
Mrs. Manion later gave me one as a gift. It occupies a prominent place in our dining room. Normally, I'm not really a knick-knack kind of guy. I'd much rather have a reciprocating saw than a collectible figurine.
But the idea of a true spherical chicken is the coolest thing. I have a vision of thousands of them rolling gracefully over hills and valleys, clucking madly. Sure, they couldn't fly, but regular chickens aren't exactly hot in the flight department either. You wouldn't even know what end of the chicken was what until an egg or something came out one end or the other. I see thousand of blindingly white, melon-sized spheres, dominating the landscape, nesting, with little ping-pong ball eggs.
To defend themselves from predators, they would roll all over them. Like super-sized tribbles or something. They'd be almost impossible to catch or kill. How do you go for the throat on an animal that doesn't have one? How do you know what direction it's going to run?
I've begun experimenting, using methods originally developed for Bonsai kittens. My hope is to have a registered breed by Christmas. Not sure what I'll call them. Sphickens, maybe?
I'll keep you posted.
LM
Turns out the whole thing's completely bogus, but it got me thinking. The idea of genetically modified sphere chickens probably makes most animal rights activists apoplectic, but I say, "It's about time." This is what science is all about.
I would love to have a spherical chicken. It dates back to these blown glass chickens I once saw in a gallery. It seemed to capture the very essence of chicken-ness. A sphere, with a beak on one end and a tail on the other. I've included a picture of them below. Are those cool or what?
Mrs. Manion later gave me one as a gift. It occupies a prominent place in our dining room. Normally, I'm not really a knick-knack kind of guy. I'd much rather have a reciprocating saw than a collectible figurine.
But the idea of a true spherical chicken is the coolest thing. I have a vision of thousands of them rolling gracefully over hills and valleys, clucking madly. Sure, they couldn't fly, but regular chickens aren't exactly hot in the flight department either. You wouldn't even know what end of the chicken was what until an egg or something came out one end or the other. I see thousand of blindingly white, melon-sized spheres, dominating the landscape, nesting, with little ping-pong ball eggs.
To defend themselves from predators, they would roll all over them. Like super-sized tribbles or something. They'd be almost impossible to catch or kill. How do you go for the throat on an animal that doesn't have one? How do you know what direction it's going to run?
I've begun experimenting, using methods originally developed for Bonsai kittens. My hope is to have a registered breed by Christmas. Not sure what I'll call them. Sphickens, maybe?
I'll keep you posted.
LM
posted by Lance Manion at 11:45 AM
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