FUNKY CHICKEN FACT #29: Chickens Role in the Cold War

CLUCK routinely adds facts to our collection of funky chicken facts without much fanfare, but this one is even more surprising than the fact that chicken feathers could slash five million off the cost of a hydrogen powered car. It involves using chickens and nuclear weapons and unless you've heard about this previously you are unlikely to guess the connection.
It seems that in the late 50s the British were concerned that Russia might launch an invasion to the west and they thought ten kiloton nuclear land mines might stop them. The problem was keeping the electronics warm enough and the solution was adding chickens with a supply of food and water. The chickens body heat was to warm the components. When this strategy was revealed, many assumed it was an April fools joke, but the British insist it was a real, but abandoned, strategy. It was code named Blue Peacock.

Photo of Blue Peacock from diddilydeedot.zoomshare.com