Rhode Island Red

If you've grown up in a capitalist society, you understand how demand shapes production.  If the people want more cars, then more cars will be made.  If they want fewer TVs, then fewer TVs will be made.

That's why I like chickens.  They break the system.  We consume chicken in so many different ways: one chicken breast in your dinner, ground bits of several parts as nuggets, and wings by the dozen at a bar.  But no matter the relative popularity of any of these products, we have to produce breasts, thighs, legs and wings at the same rate.

And that means businesses have to get creative to get rid of the parts of the chicken that are less popular.  Thus, you have Swiss Chalet's surcharge for requesting white meat, imposed by the invisible hand of the market.

It's also given us:

• the McNugget, an easy way of getting rid of the rest of the chicken.  (According to the Wikipedia entry, there are four standard McNugget shapes: The bell, the bow-tie, the ball, and the boot.  Now I'm going to have to buy some and go McNuggetwatching.)
• the proliferation of wing joints.  We've suddenly got Buffalo Wild Wings, All Star Wings, and St. Louis Wings.  All because someone is ordering too many chicken breasts.
• and when all other ways to get rid of chicken bits fails, there's always the unidentifiable battered and sauced chicken chunks in Chinese restaurants.