How high can chickens fly? Once you make some research about this topic, I am sure you will go from surprise to surprise. The answer is that Chickens can fly though hm…hm…
What do you think of when you hear these brand names KFC, Popeyes, Texas Chicken, etc. You must think of chicken meat, right? Actually, chickens are the most popular domesticated bird in the world.
As chickens are a kind of birds with wings, they can fly for sure.
You are going to discover some amazing things ever in this article.
The first interesting thing about the question “How high can chickens fly” is that chickens are not good at flying. Normally, chickens can stay in the sky for less than 10 seconds with an average distance of 40 to 50 feet.
You may be wondering:
Why are Chickens poor in flying?
Let’s first take a look back to the Chicken’s ancestors
The Gallus gallus which is also known as a jungle fowl is the closest relative or the ancestor of many modern chicken. They were found about 7,000 years ago.
Chickens are omnivores. In the natural environment, those creatures usually scratch at nearby ground to search for insects, seeds, and animals such as young mice, lizards, or small snakes.
Their ancestors were commonly walking in the forests, not living up high like the latest generation. Their main food was those coming from the soil. Their source of sustenance are commonly found on the forest floor. Besides, they can eat worms, low lying plants, and fallen fruit as one of their favourites.
Modern chickens have been raised by humans and most of their time spending on the ground because their food is provided by their owners. As time goes by, their feet are adapted for walking as opposed to perching. I would say domesticated chickens
Now:
What are their wings used for?
Instead of asking “How high can chickens fly?”, most of you would wonder “What are their wings used for?”
Scientists have proved it hard to answer exactly the reasons why chickens have wings. Here are some best explanations:
Self-defense
You can see that whenever you try to catch a chicken, it will fly away very quickly. The reason is that chickens see you as a predator and they need to escape. Their wings can allow them to add the important added distance to flee from some of their predators.
Roosting
Sleeping is crucial for chickens to start the metabolism process in order to “recharge” themselves. Sleeping on the ground can turn them to be the preys of predators. This is to explain why chickens often fly up to stand on the hen-roost as they feel more secure only when in this vulnerable standing position. Flying makes it safer to keep them safe from predators who are impossible to jump up nor climb up to catch them.
Raising their “children”
Chicken’s wings are used in the incubation period as the mother hen will need to hatch its eggs. Moreover, when their “children” are hatched, the chicken’s wings help to keep “the newborns” warm as well as make them adapt to the weather conditions or drive them in the right direction.
Want to know the best part?
The second amazing thing I have found while searching around on the Internet about the question “How high can chickens fly” can vary depending on different chicken breeds.
I would like to share some interesting facts about the flying ability of a chicken:
- The furthest distance was 301.5 feet.
- The longest flight of a chicken was 13 seconds.
- Chickens can run at 9mph (humans 12-15 mph).
These recorded numbers prove that “How high chicken can fly” depends mostly on their breeds.
Most domesticated, heavily weighted chickens may struggle a lot to fly over a fence including Orpingtons, Australorps, and Plymouth Rocks. Their small wings are covered in down that makes them impossible to fly well compared to other breeds.
There are some lightweight chicken’s breeds such as Leghorns, Araucanas, and English Games. They have better than average ability to fly because they possess stronger wings and svelte bodies to help them to fly higher and further.
“How high can chickens fly?” is the question that sounds both strange and silly. However, it turns out to be especially useful for those who own or thinking of raising a chicken. You can then know when you should take some special precautions for your hens.
Providing higher perches or trimming a couple of inches of the chicken‘s feathers are the most popular and effective ways to prevent the hens from flying to our neighbors’ gardens.
Final word
In conclusion, my article about “How high can chickens fly?” is going to an end. I am sure that some of you will have some funny stories about your hens trying to escape. Please don’t hesitate to share with us, thank you!
