# Four Legged Chickens **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929 "2000-08-11T04:12:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartoongod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Cartoongod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoongod)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/1 "2000-08-11T04:12:36Z")
I work as am intern in a lab, and today I just heard some disturbing news from a medical student that works with me. She informed me that KFC has genetically altered chickens to have legs where their wings should be. Creating four legged chickens since drumsticks sell better than wings. Normally I would be inclined to beleive her, but before I swallow this one I need some more opinions. I know that it is genetically possible to make legs grow instead of wings. As for evidence. Scientists have done it with fruitflys, and frogs, and there is no reason they couldn’t do it with a chicken. Also if you notice KFC is not Kenntucy Fried Chicken anymore, it is only KFC. For if a chicken were to be genetically altered to have four legs technically KFC couldn’t call them chickens anymore. I know a similar thing happened to Tyson when they genetically altered their chickens to have larger breasts. Tyson is no longer legally allowed to call its meat chicken. However I have been on KFC’s website and the word chicken does appear. So now I’m confused please help me on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoongod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Cartoongod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoongod)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/2 "2000-08-11T04:15:19Z")
Just to avoid confusion. I know a frog doesn’t have wings to begin with. I just ment that scientists have been able to genetically alter frogs to grow more than 4 legs. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/3 "2000-08-11T04:19:03Z")
Use the search engine and look for “KFC.” This subject has come up a number of times. (Long story short–it’s a load of horse hockey.) ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/4 "2000-08-11T04:20:11Z")
Cartoon, I can see you have not yet got off the drugs, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/5 "2000-08-11T04:27:37Z")
KFC UL: [http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/kfc.htm](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/food/kfc.htm) Tyson: I just happen to have a coupon for $1.00 off “any package of Tyson Roasted Chicken” that I got out of the last package of Tyson chicken breasts I bought that has the word _chicken_ on it 4 times, including the Tyson slogan “We’re Chicken”. Also, from the same package, a recipe card that includes the word _chicken_ 10 times, excluding when used in the phrase “chicken broth”, to refer to Tyson chicken breasts. Also see [http://www.tyson.com](http://www.tyson.com) to count the number of times _chicken_ appears in the website. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/6 "2000-08-11T05:34:13Z")
Go easy, folks, the OP is new here… In theory, it’s possible to breed chickens with legs instead of wings, but in practice, genetic technology isn’t anywhere near being able to do so. We can do it with fruit flies, but not only are they vastly simpler, but insect legs are completely different from vertebrate legs. I’m inclined to doubt the thing about developing frogs with extra legs, but even if it’s possible, frogs are still a lot simpler than chickens… Frogs can also regenerate lost appendages, a trait which is not naturally found in any bird or mammal. In fact, we can’t artificially cause birds or mammals to regrow limbs, despite an awful lot of folks trying very hard to do just that (think of the implications for medicine). Finally, it doesnt’ make all that much economic sense to try to breed such a chicken: Sure, some parts are more popular than others, but there’s always a market for everything. What do you think McNuggets are made of? It’s all the parts of the chicken that don’t sell well on their own. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/7 "2000-08-11T08:01:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mjollnir \* > \*\*(Long story short–it’s a load of horse hockey.) \*\* Horses play HOCKEY? Damn…I’d love to see that… ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/8 "2000-08-11T09:42:17Z")
Besides, dark meat (legs)is declining in popularity, and wings are increasing. So, even if they could, they wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/9 "2000-08-11T10:13:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > **I’m inclined to doubt the thing about developing frogs with extra legs, but even if it’s possible, frogs are still a lot simpler than chickens… Frogs can also regenerate lost appendages, a trait which is not naturally found in any bird or mammal.** I can’t say for sure whether this has been done in a lab on purpose. This idea probably comes from the many pictures that show up in the news of frogs with grotesque deformities, inculding extra legs. These frogs are the result of random mutation, presumably caused by environmental pollution. Frogs are notoriously sensitive to that kind of stuff, and this type of picture sells lots of magazines. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/10 "2000-08-11T13:42:56Z")
I have also heard that chicken farms located near nuclear reactors also occasionally cause four-legged chickens. No word on the quality of the taste, because as of yet, no one’s been able to catch one. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/11 "2000-08-11T13:55:51Z")
[stands Mjollnir up against the wall and offers him a blindfold and a lit cigarette] ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/12 "2000-08-11T14:05:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Smeghead \* > \*\*I can’t say for sure whether this has been done in a lab on purpose. This idea probably comes from the many pictures that show up in the news of frogs with grotesque deformities, inculding extra legs. These frogs are the result of random mutation, presumably caused by environmental pollution. Frogs are notoriously sensitive to that kind of stuff, and this type of picture sells lots of magazines. \*\* It’s a parasite, it’s unrelated to pollution. [http://www.sciam.com/explorations/1999/050399frog/index.html](http://www.sciam.com/explorations/1999/050399frog/index.html) Also, while I believe that salamanders and lizards (?) can regenerate limbs (specifically their tails), I don’t think frogs can. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoongod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Cartoongod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoongod)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/13 "2000-08-11T14:15:51Z")
I feel I have to defend myself. First of all I’m sure that there are the answers to my inane questions somewhere out there on the information superhighway. But these articles are souless, fixed things. Even though I am a newbie I still enjoy the personal touch I receive from the SDMB. Who cares if its someone telling me I should’ve done something, or whatever. At least its a human response. Which is why I will continue to post all inane, stupid, and possibly moronic questions that pop into my huge, ego inflated, teenage head, and damn the torpedos. Anyway about the Tyson thing, I’m pretty sure that somewhere along the line Tyson had to stop calling their breasts chicken meat. Maybe they stopped because it was decreasing sales. Or maybe I’m just wrong. Just remember a god has to be right all the time, but a cartoongod can make mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/14 "2000-08-11T14:23:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cartoongod \* > \*\*I will continue to post all inane, stupid, and possibly moronic questions that pop into my huge, ego inflated, teenage head, and damn the torpedos. > \*\* That doesn’t strike you as just the teensiest bit insulting to your fellow members? This message board does not exist solely for your benefit. The other members have X amount of time here, and would just as soon not waste any of it on “inane, stupid, and possibly moronic questions.” Please have more consideration for your fellow members. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoongod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Cartoongod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoongod)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/15 "2000-08-11T15:33:35Z")
Well just cause I post them doesn’t mean everyone has to read them. I will try to be discriptive in my subject lines. And I will trust my fellow SDMB members ,who I only have the utmost respect for to, to judge weather my question deserves their attention. I feel that everyone should be free to post whatever question is nagging at their minds. I may be wrong but isn’t that what the Straight Dope is all about answering life’s little questions? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/16 "2000-08-11T20:04:18Z")
Hmm… If what you’re looking for is factual answers to this sort of thing, your best bet is to start with the [Urban Legend Reference Pages](http://www.snopes.com). If what you’re looking for is personal interaction, I recommend that you check out our fora “Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share” or “In My Humble Opinion”, or, if you’re so inclined “The BBQ Pit”, although that last one’s definitely not for the faint of heart. We understand that you’re new here, so we went a bit easy on you, but questions that could be easily answered by a search engine or Snopes tend to get a frigid reception here, at best. ---
**Author:** ![TampaFlyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71e660/32.png) [@TampaFlyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TampaFlyer)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/17 "2000-08-11T20:18:46Z")
I’m pretty sure the change to KFC was to deemphasize the “fried” aspect, & maybe to make the name shorter on signs. ---
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/18 "2000-08-11T21:12:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mjollnir \* > \*\*I have also heard that chicken farms located near nuclear reactors also occasionally cause four-legged chickens. > > No word on the quality of the taste, because as of yet, no one’s been able to catch one. \*\* I’ve seen that brand in the stores around here. Look for it under the brand name “Chernobyl Farms”. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/19 "2000-08-11T21:32:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > **. . . In theory, it’s possible to breed chickens with legs instead of wings** I’m fairly certain that this is not true, even as you say theoretically. We don’t know enough about how DNA works to be able to manipulate it at that level of detail. Technology aside, I’m just talking about knowledge (which is what I assumed you meant by “in theory”). And to literally _breed_ chickens for this trait, you’d have to get ahold of a chicken that had mutated in this fashion, and it would have to be fertile. Then, if you bred it to its parent, and the offspring of that union to their siblings, you might be able to reproduce the trait. But it would have show up as a mutation in the first place, which I don’t think has occurred. > [@](#): > > \*continued \* > \*\*. . . I’m inclined to doubt the thing about developing frogs with extra legs, but even if it’s possible, frogs are still a lot simpler than chickens. . . . \*\* And even so, it seems likely to me that mutation that led to extra limbs is far more plausible than limbs sprouting in the “wrong” place; in place of other limbs. > [@](#): > > \*continued \* > **. . . What do you think McNuggets are made of? . . .** I’ve always referred to them as Chicken McForeheads. Just a privately held theory. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2000, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929/20 "2000-08-11T23:16:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cartoongod \* > \*\* > Anyway about the Tyson thing, I’m pretty sure that somewhere along the line Tyson had to stop calling their breasts chicken meat. Maybe they stopped because it was decreasing sales. Or maybe I’m just wrong. Just remember a god has to be right all the time, but a cartoongod can make mistakes. \*\* Did you see the post from the person who got a package of Tyson chicken and it had chicken on it multiple times, including the slogan: “Tyson: We’re Chicken”? I think that means…you’re wrong. A plausible expanation for Kentucky Fried Chicken changing its name? They wanted to eliminate the word “fried”, like when all the breakfast cereals suddenly dropped “sugar” from their names. Ahhhh…that’s the solution…don’t change the product, change the **name**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-legged-chickens/28929.md?page=2)