Calm Down, Rumors About KFC Mutant Chickens Are Not Real

A rumor that KFC uses mutated chickens with extra limbs is going viral on Facebook and Twitter.

A story citing a University of New Hampshire study claims that the federal government forced KFC to shorten its name from Kentucky Fried Chicken when it stopped using "real chickens" and started using these tube-fed "genetically modified organisms."

The post, which has now been shared thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter, was published on the viral news site Daily Buzz Live, pumping new life into a rumor that has been circulating for more than a decade.

The rumor has been thoroughly debunked by Snopes.com, which notes that the company's 1991 name change had to do with menu pages and a desire to eliminate the word "fried," and nothing to do with governmental regulations.

But apparently, a lot of people find no reason to question the information that's making the rounds on social media:

Some food for thought... the REAL reason KFC changed their name! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK http://t.co/OqucYnIW1D pic.twitter.com/n2IcfKZ9cC"

- Prince Amore (@Jwadee21) February 28, 2014

Another reason 2 go #plant-based. #OMG! KFC Not Serving Real Chicken The Truth About KFC's Name Change http://t.co/dCbzCvd91h #notokay #barf

- Elisa Chacon (@ec_412) February 28, 2014

This is what I have been saying for years!!!! I stopped eating KFC when they changed their name from Kentucky... http://t.co/xG6NLfCkW4

- Wendi McCrea (@EvangWendi) February 26, 2014

Ppl just now finding out why KFC changed their name? Found that out like 7 yrs ago

- OG $in (@FreshxChris) February 27, 2014

@_allHAILchrissy we saw it in class, it's like " kfc not serving real chicken, the truth about why they changed there name"

- . (@_simplyEricaaa) February 26, 2014

THIS IS SO DISTURBING!! ?? "KFC Not Serving Real Chicken The Truth About KFC's Name Change" http://t.co/SyalWCKBjM via @Dailybuzzlive

- Biljana (@BK0089) February 28, 2014

#Nohopeforhumanity KFC Not Serving Real Chicken The Truth About KFC's Name Change http://t.co/4xWKBSAWZG via @Dailybuzzlive

- Benjamin Patelsky (@patelskyb) February 28, 2014

Ew and omg. Please retweet. "KFC Not Serving Real Chicken The Truth About KFC's Name Change" http://t.co/AavqnDY8m1

- Dana Lorenz (@FENTONFALLON) February 28, 2014

Bleugh! I did hear about the name change a while back, but here's some more info on why it was changed. There's... http://t.co/QxhlKYFY7C

- Mark Raynsford PT (@MarkPT) February 27, 2014

@CNNNewsToday Animal Cruelty: Do They Have Brain Waves? KFC Not Serving Real Chicken Truth About KFCs Name Change http://t.co/9jrly6L8a7

- Tourville (@Tourville) February 27, 2014

"These so-called 'chickens' are kept alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump blood and nutrients throughout their structure," according to the completely false story. "They have no beaks, no feathers and no feet. They grow with multiple legs and wings on one 'chicken.' Their bone structure is dramatically shrunk to get more meat out of them. This is great for KFC because it saves them money for their production costs."

The University of New Hampshire has repeatedly debunked the claim that they authored a study on KFC's mutant chickens.

"An active Internet hoax, of the urban legend type, falsely claims that KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is using genetically engineered organisms instead of chickens," according to a statement posted on the university's website. "The hoax includes reference to an unspecified study of KFC done at the University of New Hampshire and there is no such research or study that was done here."

We've reached out to KFC for comment on the hoax and will update when we hear back.