[Avodah] The Kashrus of Braekel

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

They're now importing to EY from Europe a new breed of chicken, the
braekel.

See http://www.baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=37&ARTICLE_ID=90778

   ...
   Members of the Eida Charedis' Vaad Shechita, prominent rabbonim and
   kashrus experts gathered in the home of Eida Chareidis Ravaad HaGaon
   HaRav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita to determine if a new chicken, imported
   from Europe, has a kosher status. The discussion lasted for four hours!

   The new bird is called Braekel, and according to HaGaon HaRav
   Sternbuch, the bird is not kosher. However, in Bnei Brak, HaGaon
   HaRav Nissim Karelitz Shlita has ruled it is kosher.

   The chicken was raised in Europe in an area void of Jews and Rav
   Sternbuch feels it lacks the `mesora' required.

Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braekel> reports that it is
indeed Gallus gallus domesticus, actual chicken in scientific taxonomy.
And
    The Brakel is not cultivated for its meat, but merely for its
    egg-laying qualities. The breed is capable of producing 180 to 200
    white eggs a year.

This isn't remotely like the leghorn, a breed of chicken that has 2
"thumbs" and 2 other toes per claw, rather than the usual for kosher birds
-- 1 "thumb" and 3. And it's accepted as kosher, in fact, the source of
most of our eggs here in the states. But the breakel has normal simanim.

For that matter, according to some pesaqim about why we can eat turkey
(the context in which the kashrus of leghorn chickens most often comes up)
we even accept Meleagris gallopavo, turkey, as being within the mesorah
for chickens and they aren't even in the same genus!

Third wiki-note, commenting on the two subtypes of braekel chicken that
have since interbread into one:
    In the UK, USA and Australia, however, one can still find descendants
    of the Kempische Brakel under its old name 'Campine'. The Campine has
    evolved differently from the Brakel. The most noticeable difference
    is the hen-feathering of the rooster and the lower weight.

We in the US are treating a bird that evolved (nishtanah hateva, if
you prefer) from the breakel as kosher; no one requires checking if an
egg is campine or not. It's not even like the mesorah has been silent;
even if each breed of G. gallus domesticus needs it's own mesorah.

So, lo zakhisi lehavin RMS's reluctance.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             When memories exceed dreams,
micha at aishdas.org        The end is near.
http://www.aishdas.org                   - Rav Moshe Sherer
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