Alligators in West Virginia?

What do dead chickens and hungry alligators have in common?

Well, at least in West Virginia, both may become lucrative.

The West Virginia Legislature gave the state Department of Agriculture $60,000 this spring to develop an experimental alligator farm in the Eastern Panhandle of the state--near the area's largest cluster of poultry farms.

Since the large, scaly reptiles relish chickens and avian parts, they can help dispose of the dead ones. Add to this that alligator skins bring in revenue. The skin from a four-foot alligator is worth between $75 and $80, although it takes about 18 months for a 'gator to grow to that size. The 65 alligator farms in Louisiana produce about 200,000 hides a year.

The giant lizards also produce a bland, white meat considered a delicacy that can bring from $5.50 to $6 a pound, according to alligator specialist Mark Shirley.

Delegate Harold Michael, chairman of the finance committee, was a legislative...