A four-legged chicken has been found in a chicken processing facility in NSW, Australia. A worker noticed the abnormality during routine processing work at the factory.

"I just picked up a live chicken by the legs like I always do, and this one was still kicking me in the chin," the worker said. "I have worked in chicken sheds for six or seven years and I've seen extra toes and that sort of thing, but never anything like this. "I though it was a myth."


Ingham farm manager, Shane Reeves, said the bird should not have been allowed to survive beyond the hatchling stage. "It should never have even got to that stage," Mr Reeves said. "I'd say it's just a birth defect and they are usually cut down as a baby chick. "This is a one-in-a-million sort of thing."


Professor of animal nutrition at the University of New England Dr Mingan Choct said genetic variations were inevitable in a sample space the size of Australia's poultry industry. "Genetic variations happen, there has been a two-headed baby born somewhere recently and that is in a global population of approximately 6.5 billion," he said. "When you consider the industry produces 12 million chickens a week, there is a good chance you will see genetic variations in them.

[source: http://theland.farmonline.com.au]