Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

wave a dead chicken
     
         To perform a ritual in the direction of crashed
        software or hardware that one believes to be futile but is
        nevertheless necessary so that others are satisfied that an
        appropriate degree of effort has been expended.  "I'll wave a
        dead chicken over the source code, but I really think we've
        run into an OS bug".
     
        Compare {voodoo programming}, {rain dance}.
     
        [{Jargon File}]
     
        (1996-09-08)