Chicken Breed Saved?

The rare Chantecler chicken will be protected from extinction, but only so it can eventually be sent to slaughter. Once thought to be extinct, there are about 2,000 Chantecler chickens in the world, most living in the Canadian province of Quebec. Despite its heritage-animal status, Quebec’s egg and poultry producers plan to ensure the chickens’ survival by permitting 10 farms to raise the chickens for commercial use. The unique breed was created in the early 1900s to withstand harsh northern winters. Chantecler chickens were not profitable to produce for food in an era of specially-bred, fast-growing chickens, but farmers say there is now a market for birds that are not mass-produced.