23 March 2011
Posted in NatureWorks
Have you ever heard of a churkey or a turken? It sounds like a mix of a chicken and a turkey but National Geographic reports that it is actually a genetically mutated chicken that appears turkey-like due to a lack of neck feathers. The random mutation was first spotted in Romania hundreds of years ago. In these particular chickens a feather-blocking molecule called, BMP12, is over produced. The reason only the neck losses its feathers is because the neck is actually the most sensitive part of the chickens skin due to an acid derived from Vitmain A being present there.
Most other genetic mutations cause harm but in this case the BMP12 mutation helps keep these chicken cool! Chickens bred in hot climates do not produce the same quality of meat and eggs that chicken bred in cooler climates do, that means featherless necks not only keep the chicken happier but, the farmers and consumers as well. Due to this fact the churkey trend in catching on! In a case where weird is wonderful, producers in the poultry industry who reside in hot climates such as Mexico, are purposefully breeding these genetically mutated barenecked chickens and seeing lots of benefits but doing so!