All Archives - chXout

Could a chicken change sex?

4th September 20264th September 2026 By chx0ut4DMin Comment Closed

We are very proud of our chickens who provide endless hours of amusement and indeed affection.One of them started squawking a bit and in chats with other chicken lovers, were told they could change sex !Now we had never heard of this, so investigation was needed !Apparently, a hen can sometimes develop male characteristics if her only functioning ovary becomes damaged or stops working.In chickens only the left ovary normally functions in egg production and the right gonad remains largely undeveloped.If the left ovary is damaged for example by age-related degeneration, the dormant right gonad can begin producing male hormonesHence a hen may:Grow a larger comb and wattlesDevelop long saddle and hackle feathers like a roosterCrow or attempt to crowAnd people often call these birds "sex-reversed hens”, but they remain genetically female (ZW), do not become a true cockerel, do not produce sperm and cannot fertilise eggsSo, to dispel a myth, being without a cockerel does not cause hens to...

Beavers on the return to the wild?

27th July 202215th February 2023 By chXout Team Comment Closed

In 16th Century Britain the Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber) was sadly hunted to extinction for its fur, meat and scent glands. Beavers are known as a keystone species or ecosystem engineers, meaning that they benefit the area around them. This has resulted in projects across the UK trialling the re-introduction of beavers to the wild starting with large enclosures at nature reserves. Beaver Benefits Creation of dams and ditches which aids in the formation of wetland habitat Wetland habitat holds more water in the landscape which filters silt and agricultural chemicals from the water Wetlands are crucial to combatting climate change due to the capturing and storage of carbon and the reduction of greenhouse gases Reduction of flooding Encouraging new species into the area, increasing biodiversity Changes in vegetation composition and diversity (Summarised from current project information by the Wildlife Trusts.) Consideration for the wider release of beavers into the wild is now able to take a step forward with DEFRA announcing legal protection for the species from October 2022...

EU ban on bird imports sees ‘massive’ cuts in global trade

11th December 20178th January 2020 By chXout TeamNo Comments

Wild birds are one of the most traded animals on the global market, with approximately 1.3 million birds bought and sold internationally every year, according to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) [1].However, the introduction of the EU ban on trade of wild birds in 2005 has reduced global trade by around 90%, according to new research published in the journal Science Advances [2].Before 2005, EU members such as Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain accounted for the buying of around two thirds of all birds sold on the global market.The ban was a result of fears of a loss of biodiversity in countries where the birds were captured and an increase in the spread of exotic birds in imported nations, which can cause damage to ecosystems as local crops are destroyed and the population of native birds is threatened as they are outcompeted for food.As a result of the ban, Latin America has...

Dogs help to keep you happy and healthy!

30th November 20178th January 2020 By chXout TeamNo Comments

Dogs have long been associated with a range of health benefits such as: Improving your heart health - dog owners have been found to reduce your risk of heart disease. Improving your physical health - dog owners are recommended to do 2 and a half hours of moderate exercise. Helping you lose weight as a result of moderate exercise. Decreasing your stress levels - dogs have been found to help decrease stress hormones in the human body. Improve your social life as you meet more people through your dog. Decrease depression - dogs provide great companionships which helps to decrease loneliness and depression. A new study has recently added increased lifespan to that list! Researchers at Uppsala University, Sweden [1]carried out a 12 year longitudinal study to investigate dog ownership and lifespan. The study analysed 3.2 million Swedes aged 40-80 years old who had no history of illness. In Sweden, all dogs must be registered with the Swedish Board of Agriculture and, consequently,...

A new DNA tool may help reduce illegal wildlife crime

24th November 20178th January 2020 By chXout TeamNo Comments

There are approximately 41 000 species on the Red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)(http://www.iucnredlist.org/), the most comprehensive inventory of the conservation status of plant and animal species. Of these species, 16 306 are classified as endangered species at risk of extinction.Although extinction is a natural evolutionary process, human activity such as hunting and wildlife crime has been a significant contributor to the number of species at risk of extinction and the loss of biodiversity.Wildlife crime refers to the illegal selling and trade of animals and plant parts such as tissue, bone and meat for the purpose of food, pets, leather, medicine and regalia. Increased levels of wildlife trade has caused a negative effect on wildlife populations and is a significant threat to the survival of many species.However, engineers have recently developed a new tool, a DNA barcoder, which can rapidly identify species using a minute sample of tissue.The DNA barcoder uses a DNA sequence to...

How well do you know your food?

8th November 20178th January 2020 By chXout TeamNo Comments

Spices are parts of a plants that have been powdered into small pieces; they are widely used in cooking and some are known to have medicinal benefits. In some countries, plants used for spices are considered economic crops. For example, Saffron, per ounce, is worth more than gold! However, where there is potential for economic gain there is also potential for exploitation. Particularly with spices, as they are distributed in their processed form, it can be very difficult to prove and identify their original species and whether they are the genuine product. Recent developments combining DNA barcoding and High Resolution Melting Analysis (HRM) has been used by scientists to determine the authenticity of several spices belonging to the Zingiberaceae family (ginger family) [1]. Only one of seven of the shops which bought spice products contained the species on their label, the remainder were either incorrect or had contamination of other products in them. Being able to detect substitution, adulteration or contamination of products...