Time to Boycott Chicken Wings

[P Town]

I am sick and tired of the prices of chicken wings. Now they are telling us there is a shortage. I am calling for a National Boycott of Chicken Wings starting Monday Jan. 28 through Monday Feb. 4. I know it's going to be hard with Super Bowl Sunday Feb. 3. Let's unite and make ourselves heard.

[westsidegal]

if i remember my economics course correctly, according the the Law of Demand, one would expect that as price rose, demand would fall: Price Elasticity of Demand.

this is the case for most goods.

[Tom34]

With the big game over, prices should drop. The problem area this year will likely be pork and BEEF. Inventory down about 10% with dairy cows which is where much of our ground beef comes from. Many, many variables involved but beef may be pricey this year.

[Bacardi1]

Well, I don't know where this supposed "shortage" is supposed to be, but around here, ALL the supermarkets had plenty of packages of both the store brand and Perdue chicken wings for sale.

And we'll be enjoying them tomorrow in all their crispy roasted glory, then topped with a choice of Buffalo Wild Wings "Parmesan-Garlic", "Mango Habanero", or "Hot BBQ" sauces. (I SO love that I can buy these sauces from the restaurant, since I really don't like eating their wings - lol.)

[Crockett67]

Not in my neck of the woods. Grant it i was only at two stores. Cleaned out.

That's okay, Kalbi ribs as a blue plate will do in it's place. :)

[Njchicaa]

There were plenty around here too but I didn't buy any. ShopRite advertised Purdue chicken 40% off, had signs up and stickers on packages and everything... except chicken wings and wingettes were not included. I was going to buy some to keep in the freezer for the next time my husband wants smoked wings, but I wasn't going to pay full price.

The big sale on soda was 2 12-packs for $9 which is a joke considering they often do 4 for $10. They practically GIVE stuff away at Christmas and Thanksgiving but not SuperBowl. Needless to say I passed on the soda too.

[Tom34]

I saw that too. Restaurant Depot had baby backs for about the same price. No brainer for me.

[pine time]

I got stuck with "Family Pak" of 9999 wings, just for Mr. Pine (I don't eat them.) So, the freezer is set for the apocalypse, if said aocalypse requires eating only wings.

Made his favorite version--not Buffalo, but a sweet & spicy that uses, of al things, a packet of the dry Italian salad dressing mix, then some BBQ-type mixture. As I said, I don't eat them!

[sunshine842]

use 'em for stock, pine time, if they're not already fried or coated with something -- lots of bones for marrow, and lots of connective tissue!

[pine time]

Great idea. To me, making stock is the only valid reason for buying the vile things!

[kengk]

I'm curious about why you dislike them so much. "Just because" is enough of an answer but if it's more than that I would love to hear it.

[pine time]

The work-to-outcome ratio doesn't work for me: too little meat, all those messy bones, and I'm not a fan of the skin.

[kengk]

That's about how I feel towards crab legs.

[Tom34]

Yeah, my wife's favorite food is crab but she feels the same way about cleaning them.......the things we do for them!

[Tom34]

Have you tried just seasoning them and cooking them in the oven on a broiler pan. A lot of the fat drips out and the skin becomes very light and crispy. Very different from the normal bar wings. Even better if you have a convection oven.

[Bill Hunt]

Now, it was a bit BEFORE that "big game," but my Costco had pallets of chicken wings available. However, as you mention, they were only available in the 9999 pc. packages. People had their step-vans lined up, with pallet, upon pallet of the things.

Heck, we try to buy chicken, without the wings, but have a hard time doing so. Maybe I should have stocked up, and then put the danged things on eBay, or something?

Hunt

[DGresh]

Yeah, maybe not a shortage, but very high price. We're having short rib nachos instead tonight. The avocados were cheap though!

[Bill Hunt]

To me, short-rib nachos sound MUCH better.

Hunt

[DGresh]

They were great!

[MGZ]

Nachos made out of slow cooked meat, like in that NY Times article,* is an underappreciated treat. With so much talk of blizzard around here, I was thinking of making something similar with some pork spare ribs I found on sale. The only thing I don't think I'd do would be to use the fresh chiles** that Clark substitutes in her recipe. I've got six or seven different ones in the house and I find that I can just toast briefly and add directly to the braising liquid - no need to reconstitute.

That being said, DGresh, which approach to the chiles did you use?

* For those who haven't seen it: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/din...

**Those will be for on top.

[DGresh]

I did it as in the recipe. My 16 year old son is not a spice fiend, so I went easy on the spices.

[MGZ]

I liked how she offered the variables with the basic recipe and did the separate blog entry on roasted, dried chiles.

At bottom, now I'm pretty sure what I'm eatin' if I'm snowed in tomorrow.

[Bill Hunt]

That sounds great.

Coming from the Deep South, and on the Coast to boot, "storm food," is a specialty. Just like when we lived in Denver, and the Blizzard of '82 hit. We had some "interesting" meals, but at least we had meals. See thread on "hurricanes/blizzards" for some of those.

Hunt

[MGZ]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01...

[DGresh]

I have always made a variation of buffalo wings for super bowl sunday. But the price of wings is crazy this year, so I'm going to start a new tradition and make these awesome sounding short rib nachos I saw in the NY Times this morning

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/din...

[Bill Hunt]

This year, we have made coupe. We have secured Rodan, and doing the wings for the party. Now, there are only two, but each should feed 25 people, so there should be no issues. Not sure what we'll do for next year.

Hunt

[Sal Vanilla]

I am boycotting wings. But not willingly. I cannot fit into my fat jeans. Everyone else will be gorging on them at the Superbowl party. I will nosh celery and grumble.

[Vidute]

superbowl=sports=sweatpants. problem solved! enjoy the wings!

[Sal Vanilla]

Thanks for the laugh. I noticed my sweats have become floods due to my expansion width wise. Sigh - ola.

[Vidute]

so, now you have CAPRI sweatpants. puma charges $35 for theirs.
http://www.zappos.com/puma-capri-swea...

[Sal Vanilla]

I am guessing you are a glass half full sort. : ) lovely.

[Vidute]

most of the time. but, we all have our half-empty days. i've chosen to see the glass as half full most often because i see what can happen when people focus mainly on the half empty. plus, it tickles me silly when my optimism irritates someone who's angry. i know, it's not nice, but... **head hung in shame**

[PotatoHouse]

Chicken is health food!

[Sal Vanilla]

I am considering buffalo style cauliflower. Trying to gin up some excitement there.

[MGZ]

I find that, in the proper proportion with vermouth, gin will generate enough excitement to eat just about anything,

[Sal Vanilla]

I also find that to be true. It also heightens my sense of smell. I become a Snicker pig who can ferret out all my husband's hiding places for Halloween candy.

[Vidute]

you DO mean adding tenderly cooked cauliflower to buffalo chicken dip? or did mean to use raw cauliflower as the conveyance for the buffalo chicken dip? either way, yummy! ;)

[Sal Vanilla]

Here is the recipe I am considering: http://www.laaloosh.com/2013/01/22/buffalo-cauliflower-bites/. I also saw this http://www.laaloosh.com/2012/05/31/bu... which seemed slightly less depressing and more game oriented.

[Vidute]

the cauliflower can be game oriented. just ditch the franks sauce and get some fiery hot sauce. maybe something with ghost chilis. challenge your guests to half-time cauliflower eating contest with a prize for the last one standing. definitely nothing wimpy about these cauliflower bites. i get my sauces from peppers. they have a great variety, and maybe your local stores also carry some more fiery sauces.

http://www.peppers.com/cube/

the chili sounds good.

[EWSflash]

Okay, I can do that. It will help keep me from ordering drummies at the grill at the workplace cafeteria.

[tcamp]

I say make these instead of wings:

http://icuban.com/food/chicharrones_p...

[Bacardi1]

Sorry. No "boycott" going to happen here. We LOVE our chicken wings. Of course, when I say that I mean the ones we make at home. We never order them when dining out. Small sizes; poor quality.

But at home? A definite feast.

[pine time]

If it weren't for Mr. Pine, I'd never buy chicken wings. And, what's up that when you're looking for wings, most packages have a couple of wings and the rest are "drumettes?" Guess that's about the supposed shortage.

[kengk]

I've never seen them here that were already cut up. It only takes a few minutes to disjoint a large package.

[Nanzi]

I've been having a craving for chicken wings this week. Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that we will be watching the Superbowl poolside at the Marriott in Aruba? and that their wings are to die for?? I'd make some today if I had them, I might have to go out in that 1 - 3" of snow last night and get some.

[MrsBridges]

The problem isn't chicken wings, it's football. Boycott the Super Bowl. Spend the time reading a good book or watching a geeky and/or intellectual program. We will be hosting a Doctor Who party on SB Sunday. There's no shortage of fish fingers and custard that I'm aware of!

[tcamp]

I don't know. How many fingers per fish?

[afridgetoofar]

Like! And agree. :D

Though it does present a potentially slippery slope. Without sporting events will a popcorn shortage loom as people turn to movies for entertainment? Or bottled water supplies suffer as jogging and power-walking experience an all-time high popularity surge, as former armchair athletes are forced by boredom into the fresh air?

Or maybe we'll just discover that without being spurred by favorite associated activity linking us to food pleasures, we'll lose interest in food and drink altogether. The chicken population will recover.

I can't boycott chicken wings because I can't find chicken wings. My Costco no longer sells them. They also sell mainly chicken parts from which the skin has been removed prior to packaging them (presumably for the health of their customers), which annoys me. At risk of sounding like the late Andy Rooney, I want to know, what do they do with all that skin they remove from the chicken thighs and breasts and drumsticks they sell? Maybe they shape it into faux-wings and sell it as a side industry to Buffalo Wild Wings for the sports bar set? Deep fry 'em, sauce 'em, serve 'em to people distracted by what's on ESPN? Would they notice?

The number of fingers per fish depends on the fish, I expect "walking catfish" have more than, say, eel.

[JerryMe]

Ha Ha! Andy Rooney-ish indeed! That's a good question! My Costco no longer carries wings as well and I shirk the skinless also.

[MGZ]

Go to better stores.

[afridgetoofar]

I don't shop exclusively at Costco. I was just having a little fun, on the wing, so to speak... :)

[MGZ]

Indeed.

[coll]

I'll bet the skin goes into pet food.

[ratgirlagogo]

I boycott the Super Bowl every year. I always watch the greatest TV show ever made, maybe the greatest TV show that ever will be made, the Puppy Bowl:
http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/...

[DGresh]

but officially, that doesn't conflict with the superbowl, does it? I intend to watch the puppy bowl next weekend. And then watch the superbowl.

[ratgirlagogo]

"but officially, that doesn't conflict with the superbowl, does it?"

It does if you tune in Puppy Bowl at 3 PM and keep it on for the rest of the day and night, like I plan to do.

[Bill Hunt]

Considering how all of "my teams" fared, I can do that.

Hunt

[EWSflash]

I can do that too.

[KaimukiMan]

shhhh... Mrs. Bridges, really! UnAmerican statements like that will have homeland security knocking on your door some dark night. You better have some all American chicken wings ready to serve them.

[Aznmask]

the chicken wings now are sell for $2 a pound. I co-own a restaurant.

Anyway a chicken only have 2 wings so how many chicken have to kill to get a large order of wings?

[Tom34]

Yes, they surpassed the cost of boneless chicken breast quite some time ago. Quite a trek going from being a near giveaway in the 70's & 80's to the most valuable part of the chicken. I don't think they will ever go back to being a cheap part of the animal but lets hope supply picks up and the problem eases.

[MGZ]

Here's my suggestion from last year:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/829233

[coll]

There is a shortage every year at Superbowl time. Most of them go to wholesale customers like bars and caterers, retail gets last dibs. Stock up early next year!

[EWSflash]

A friend whose wife used to own a Wings, Pizza & Things franchise came to lunch one day and said that wings were now the most expensive part of the chicken. It may be a seasonal (as in Superbowl) inflation, but they really are so much pricier than they used to be. I used to buy them at Costco, like others her, but I haven't seen them in years.

[Bill Hunt]

I boycotted them, the first time that I tasted a chicken wing.

I cannot figure out what the deal is, but they ARE popular. Guess that many recall when their parents would eat the other parts of the chicken, and they would only be left with the wings, and maybe the neck and feet. They hold some sort of close memory for those days, and cannot get past them?

Hunt

[Vidute]

the wing has the optimum, imo, skin to meat ratio. also, i enjoy gnawing and wings are perfect for that. i prefer a simple, baked wing to the breaded/fried/drowned wing served at most establishments.

[sunshine842]

baked is now the only way I make 'em, then tossed with just a little sauce. No greasy drowned wings Chez Sunshine.

[bagelman01]

Aslo the most gelatinous part, ounce per ounce. Makes a great substitute for calves feet when making Pithcha

[coll]

Our local BBQ deli has a sign out for smoked wings, it's on my list to try in the near future.

[biondanonima]

Anyone who breads a wing is doing it wrong. A true Buffalo wing is deep-fried naked and then sauced. Breading is a crime against humanity...and don't even get me started on BBQ sauce!!!!

[gaffk]

I'm a baked wing gal myself. Bake a little, drown in hot sauce, bake a little more, finish with a tangy BBQ sauce, bake a little more.

[Vidute]

i melt some butter and mix in the wings. put the wings in the pan add some hot sauce and season-all, mix together and bake at 350 until wings are golden and crispy.

[Bill Hunt]

Many (obviously) love them, but I do not. Just a personal thing I suppose. I am a "breast guy," as I like the taste of white meat, and then, seldom have skin-on.

Luckily, my wife likes dark meat, so most of the bird is consumed in a sitting, with little to no fighting taking place.

Hunt

[wyogal]

Same here. I love the wings/legs/thighs, and husband is a breast man, too.

[bagelman01]

Bill, growing up, the wing was the favorite part of the bird (chicken, turkey, duck, goose) in our family. Mom would often roast a pan of chicken wings as dinner. OIn thanksgiving she always made a 16 pound turkey and 6 extra wings for the meal. One year (1962) my older brother attempted to steal a wing off my plate>>you can still see the scar from four fork tine holes in his right wrist.

[Bill Hunt]

This becomes a "different strokes" sort of thing - some love them, swear by them, and create intricate recipes for them, where others (me) just do not get it. Nothing wrong with that.

Hunt

[KaimukiMan]

Better the wings than the feet. Too much work there. My favorite growing up of course was the drumstick, and now i usually buy thighs. More flavorful than breasts, and harder to dry out. I guess I've been served too many ghastly overcooked chicken breasts with all moisture carefully extracted by some mad chef who tried to cover it by drowning it in some gloppy salty sauce. But if you like the skin best, then wings are the way to go. Don't think I've ever seen boneless skinless chicken wings at the market, not even TJ's or Costco.

[Crockett67]

I only make soup/curry with dark meat. Soo much better.

[Bill Hunt]

Please do not mention the "feet."

We just hosted a UK board dinner at a highly recommended restaurant. They came out with three pyramids of foul feet - nothing BUT feet. Luckily, I had absolutely nothing to do with that choice of restaurants, or the menus.

We knew that things were not going to go well, when the sommelier popped the first bottle of "welcome Champagne," and it exploded around the entire room. His comment was "well, our supplier did not get the Champagne, that we ordered, and this arrived with no chill." Huh? You opened HOT Champagne, and then sprayed it all over my guests?

Foul feet are a rather sensitive topic, even several months later. Think that I would have preferred chicken lips in aspic...

Hunt

[coll]

Foul feet? Or fowl feet? I'm getting a Monty Python scenario in my mind.

[Bill Hunt]

They WERE "foul feet," but most (?) came from some form of fowl.

At least they did not have to offer toothpicks, as one could use the little claws...

Hunt

[Tom34]

Everyone sitting around a table picking their teeth with chicken feet is WRONG :)

[Bill Hunt]

Yes. I thought so too.

Hunt

[coll]

I have a friend from Chile who swears fried chicken feet are one of her favorite things to eat, she grew up on them. Not sure if it's an acquired taste since I've never had the pleasure. I use them for soup; but even then, they are so creepy looking.

[Bill Hunt]

I believe that this might well be a "cultural difference," like loving balut (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut_(egg). No one at our table was impressed, and as the host, I was distressed. My wife, the chair of the board, was devastated.

Still, no need for toothpicks!

Hunt

[Crockett67]

Yikes!!!

[tcamp]

It is an easy boycott for me too. Have never understood the appeal.

[MGZ]

They may be the most "American" food ever. Everything else clearly has other origins - hot dogs, burgers, apple pie, etc. The Buffalo Wing is good ol' fashion USA - a pretty unique dish if you think about it.

[tcamp]

I grew up in California and I don't recall eating a wing until I moved east in my 20's. I've had a few that were good but I don't seek them out like I do, say, potato skins.

[juliejulez]

Same here, grew up in CA and never had wings until I moved to Chicago in my 20s. But, we had tri-tip as the quintessential game day food when most other folks in other parts of the country had never heard of it, so there's trade offs I guess.

[MGZ]

I don't think that anyone would argue that BUFFALO wings were an East Coast invention. The dish, however, started to spread nationwide beginning in the late 80s.

[juliejulez]

I was born in '82. I guess I was just sheltered :)

[MGZ]

Not sheltered so much as too young to spend time in bars. By the time you were 18, Buffalo (style) wings were pretty ubiquitous in SF watering holes.

[Bill Hunt]

You bring up a good point.

My wife and I were trying to tie down the first reference to wings, that we could recall. Now, we have only lived in the Deep South, Colorado, and Arizona, so have missed the East/Northeast completely. Our first contact seems to be about 1998, while still in Denver, and likely around a football game. Do not know when they "hit it big," but just know that they were 100% off OUR radar screens until fairly recently.

Hunt

[MGZ]

It was the "family" chain restaurant growth that coincided with the nationalization of the chicken wing. Places like Chiles, Fridays, etc. brought what was once a "5 cent a piece" bar food/stomach coater to the mainstream. Certainly, Bill, you recall the proliferation of such establishments in the 80s and 90s - even if you never went to them or had their wings.

[sunshine842]

Yep -- my college years and just after -- when being able to get 20 wings and a beer for $1.05 (because some of the places around my alma mater did nickel wings and nickel beer all on the same night) was a big help to the weekly spending money.

These places were thick around college campuses at that time -- cheap, plentiful food plus a market that needed it.

[juliejulez]

I would like to know why there is a wing shortage, but not a breast, thigh, or leg shortage. Every chicken only has 2 of each...

[gaffk]

Right. But most people eat only one breast per sitting. Maybe a couple of legs and/or thighs. But wings are small, and short on meat. People like me have 5 or 6 at a sitting and I've been out with guys who can down 20 or more at a time. So, to keep up with demand, we need to engineer a chicken with 2 breasts, 2 legs, 2 thighs and 10 wings.

[juliejulez]

Takes the "frankenchicken" phrase to a whole new level.

[gaffk]

Yes, we need a "frankenchicken" with multiple wings to keep up with demand.

[DuchessNukem]

It begins...

[gaffk]

Those pictures are truly disturbing. And yet . . . breed the two and we're well on the way!

[LindaWhit]

LOL! Well, fits right in with the Franken-part, doesn't it?

[DuchessNukem]

I would so freakin raise those chickens. Dang. They'd have to be kinda large to accommodate those wings; plus large enough to avoid flying away.

Maybe I'm spending a little too much time thinking about this. Coolest chix ever, though.

[Bill Hunt]

I have always wondered why someone did not do Turkey Vulture Wings, so that one would not have to eat 3 dozen Chicken Wings.

Hunt

[acgold7]

We do. Well, Turkey Wings, actually, and we sold out tonight. Most people have a hard time finishing four pieces (two wings) -- ours are from 30 pound birds -- but we do all you can eat and tonight one big guy made it through eight pieces before he fell over.

[Tom34]

Same Buffalo sauce style?

[acgold7]

Yes, except we use real butter instead of margarine.

[Tom34]

I have had "smoked" turkey drums & wings at places like Disney & state fairs but never buffalo style. The smoking process tended to dry and toughen both the skin & meat a little. Assuming you guys are deep frying them, do they come out tender and juicy like the chicken wings?

[MGZ]

Deep fried turkey wings can be super tasty and juicy. Another option (alluded to about legs in the thread I posted below) is to smoke the wings for an hour or two and then fry 'em and sauce. Honestly, though, the dryness you experienced is the result of crappy overcooking. A properly smoked wing (or whole turkey for that matter) can be quite succulent.

[Tom34]

"Crappy Overcooking" .....I am sure your right given where I had them. I have smoked whole turkeys but never followed up with deep frying. Next time I smoke ribs on the BGE, I will have to throw a few turkey wings in there as well and then drop them in the fryer to crisp them up.

[MGZ]

"I will have to throw a few turkey wings in there as well and then drop them in the fryer to crisp them up."

A lot of barbecue places in the Northeast take that approach to chicken wings. It works with drumsticks very well too (I did it with sausage once also - there was beer involved).

[acgold7]

Absolutely dead on. The added mass of the Big Bird actually gives you more latitude to get it right so there's really no excuse for dry leathery Turkey, inside or out.

[acgold7]

Oh yes. We roast them first and then just a quick dip into the fryer to crisp them up, followed by a trip through the wing sauce for a little kick. Crispy juicy awesomeness and you won't believe the look on people's faces when they bite into them. Does your heart proud.

[Tom34]

Sounds great. May get to this method before the smoke / deep fry. How long was the roast & at what temp? Any seasoning before the roast or just before the sauce?

[acgold7]

We actually roast our birds overnight in prime rib ovens at about 250 and hold at 165 or so until service. Then we fry for only a couple of minutes as necessary to crisp them up. We use my special rub a few days before roasting and let them air-dry in the walk-in for a few days -- serves as a sort-of dry brine, but more of a rub, as we get the birds injected beforehand.

For our smoked wings, we often de-wing the birds about to go into the roasting ovens and smoke the wings separately. Same with the legs. Yes, they look really strange going into the ovens minus legs and wings. And we always use Spanek vertical roasting racks.

[Bill Hunt]

Thanks for that info.

Turkey wings ARE larger things, and 8 pieces is some accomplishment.

Hunt

[KaimukiMan]

acgold:

is the video on you-tube yet? 8 turkey wings, amazing feat.
(no pun intended)

[acgold7]

Yeah, no video yet on our wings. And for the record it was 8 *pieces*, four actual wings. Eight entire wings could be as much as four pounds, maybe six, of actual meat off huge 30-pounders. Yikes!

[Crockett67]

I like your thinking! My Mom would sometimes make Pterodactyl wings... may have to go retro. Thanks for the memory.

[Bill Hunt]

Yes, those can contain a lot of meat, as well, and take some time to consume. Not sure which sauce would be the best, but will let others use their judgement.

Hunt

[gaffk]

Good thought (though I'd go turkey, not turkey vulture;)

And it has me thinking . . . Where I shop, whole turkey and turkey breast are available all year. But I've never seen turkey drumsticks or wings for sale. Now you have me wondering what happens to these parts that were once attached to the breasts.

[wyogal]

I see turkey parts all the time here. Also, smoked turkey pieces. Smoked turkey wings are a great alternative to ham hocks for soups and beans.

[Tom34]

I said more wings per bird on here quite a few months ago. Someday it will be so. They pack tight and freeze well so I suspect they will start arriving by boat like a good % of our ground beef.

[Bill Hunt]

"More wings per bird?"

Do you mean engineering chickens with, say 24 wings?

Hunt

[Vidute]

nah................just keep feeding them gmo grains........the wings'll grow in on their own!

[Tom34]

Well, they manage to not fall over with breasts twice the size of the historical norm so why not 4 wings. 24 wings flapping all at once would probably lead to a tangled mess though. Besides, where would you put the rectum?

[KaimukiMan]

With the huge breasts i can see a need for doubling the drumsticks, but they aren't allowed to walk around anyhow. more or larger wings could be useful if they had predators (other than humans) to escape from.

[carolinadawg]

The US has to import lean beef to mix with our own higher fat content beef in order to produce ground beef that consumers want. We are a net exporter of beef. Where is the problem?

[Tom34]

I see no inference to a "Problem" in my post. My reference to ground beef was a comparative analysis which supports a correlation between supply/demand and importation.

[carolinadawg]

I took your comment regarding the importation of beef as a perjorative. My apologies if that was not your intent.

[Tom34]

No problem.

[DGresh]

so a question is, when there are plenty of chickens to go around, with enough wings for us all to eat our fill, what do they do with all the "excess" breasts, legs, and thighs? Make cat food? Chicken broth? Chicken sausage? It seems like some mathemetician is out there figuring out how best to distribute the chix pieces! (I'm a mathy-geek myself).

[kengk]

I would assume that they make supply and demand converge through price elasticity.

[Tom34]

I like that!

[gaffk]

There won't be excess of those other parts. There will be exactly the same amount of breasts, legs and thighs, just lots more wings! (Although Malgato, my chicken hawk cat, would love the idea of any excess chicken being thrown her way ;)

[Tom34]

What do you think of a hybrid chicken with 4 wings?

[gaffk]

With only 4 wings, we might get to DGresh's dilemma of excess breasts, legs and thighs. I think we have to go for 10 wings.

OTH . . .Chicken breasts are so huge now, how large would all the other parts of the chicken have to be to support 10 wings? So you're probably right, 4 wings would be optimal. And my cat would happily assist in ridding the world of the excess parts ;)

[Tom34]

Glad I am not a chicken :).....Chinese love the feet.....Maybe we come up with a bird with 10 feet and the rest of the thing will come down in cost.

[gaffk]

Hmmm . . . Would the extra feet come with\without extra legs.

I'm forming a picture in my mind of a 10-footed, 10-wing, 2 breast, 2 leg monstrosity. And imagine the mom & pop farmer chasing that bad bird around after the head is chopped off.

[Tom34]

Chasing that bad bird brings back memories of my grandmother's (1901 - 2006) stories of how they dealt with chickens back in the day.

Personally, a 10 footed, 10 wing beast like you describe would scare the hell out of me!

[KaimukiMan]

my grandma too Tom. One in each hand - snap go the necks. In later years she gave thanks daily for butcher shops.

[bagelman01]

Because when you buy parts to serve the family, you might buiy 1 breast quarter or leg quarter per person, but One chicken wing does not make a meal for an average American. My teenage and 20 something daughters eat one breast or thigh, but each will eat 6 or more wings...........

[Chemicalkinetics]

So this is why we have a shortage. Your kids are eating more than their share of chicken wings. Stop this.

[bagelman01]

I wouldn't deny my princesses anything

[juliejulez]

I was trying to make a joke but I guess I failed.

[gaffk]

No, I think we all just took it as opportunity to have fun genetically engineering the chicken population.

[Samalicious]

The shortage is because of the drought last summer. What good would a boycott do, the higher prices have been predicted since last fall.

[foodieX2]

Yes but it is being publicized now in time for the super bowl. Sounds similar to the bacon "shortage"…..

[Samalicious]

It's publicized around the Superbowl because demand is high on that day and production is low. Unlike the bacon shortage rumor, it is a consequence of something that actually happened. A boycott will not solve anything.

[foodieX2]

Of course a boycott won't work. But you don't need one, prices will go right back down after the super bowl rush. This wouldn't even be news if it wasn't for the super bowl. The whole thing is stupid as you are not hearing about of shortage of any other chicken parts. Its only because this is wing season.