Can Chickens Fly?

Their flights are mostly limited in time and distance. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about them flying into greener pastures. This is great news if you plan to start a poultry farm. 

If you are fascinated by the fact that chickens can fly, this blog has more such facts to surprise you. Today, we’ll understand the above question about chicken flying in detail. Have a look at the topics we’re going to cover.

  • Can chickens fly?
  • Chicken breeds that do not fly well
  • Which chicken breeds fly the best?

So are you excited to get yourself a detailed answer for whether chickens can fly or not? Let’s not make you wait any longer and jump straight to our first topic. Here we go!

Can Chickens Fly?

Most chickens are not capable of flying a far distance. They can just fly enough to escape from possible predators and jump over a fence. When it comes to how high those chickens can fly, the maximum height is 10-15 feet.

Let’s tell you a fun fact about the chicken’s flying. Do you know that the world record for the highest chicken flight is around 301.5 feet made in 2014? However, the surprising thing is that such chickens cannot out-fly any winged predator.

Some chickens (Breda fowl and Bantams) are capable of escaping dangerous situations by using their burst flight ability.

Here’s how they fly in such a situation – they seem to stand on the spot and then all of a sudden fly away from the danger. This kind of escape is quite common among game birds like pheasants and grouse. Apparently, prehistoric birds have also been seen using the same tactic.

Another surprising thing is that most chickens, who can fly, only fly for just a few seconds, and then they crash back down to the ground!

Have you ever watched a chicken’s flight in slow motion? If not, then you should definitely consider watching it out on YouTube; it’s kind of fun. 

Don’t worry; let’s give you a detailed description of a chicken flight video. When watching chickens flying in slow motion, you’ll notice that it’s hard for chickens to lift themselves with their wings.

Their landings are more controlled crashes than anything else. Talking about flying, below we have shared some wonderful facts about chicken flying. Go have a read!

Chicken Flying – Fun Facts

  • The furthermost distance covered by a flying chicken was around 301.5 feet in late 2014
  • The longest flight a chicken has ever made was only 13 seconds
  • Chickens can fly at approximately 10mph.

We have talked a lot about chickens’ flies. But did you know that not every chicken can fly? So it’s time we learn about such chickens too. 

Chicken Breeds that do not Fly Well

Generally, the heavier the breeds, the less capable they are of flying. If you want to breed chicken and have a low fence area, you’ll probably want to have some of these chicken breeds. They do not fly, so they won’t scale your fences. Let’s introduce you to some of those breeds that are not good at flying.

Orpingtons

Orpingtons have a high body weight of around 3.2-4.8kgs. They are also docile and an incredibly sweet breed. Therefore you don’t have to worry about them jumping over your fence anytime soon!

Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock is another heavy breed, however, with a lovely nature. Plymouth Rock chickens cannot fly high and far. Besides, they themselves don’t try to leave once they get close to the breeder! It’s their nature. 

Silkies

Silkie’s are not particularly heavy, but it’s the most docile breed you can ever get. Since they have very small wings, they aren’t physically capable of flying. Also, Silkies do not have any natural flying ability, so it’s guaranteed that they’ll stay in your yard.

Well, we have talked about the breeds that cannot fly. Aren’t you curious to know which breed flies the best? It’s to cover that topic.

Which Chicken Breeds Fly the Best?

The chicken breeds that can fly the best are the ones that don’t gain body weight easily. Being lightweight, they can fly better than those with a heavyweight. Most of such active breeds are migrated from Mediterranean countries. 

The best flyers are Sicilian Buttercups, white-faced black Spanish, Leghorn, Catalana, Ancona, Campine, and Andalusian. These chickens have a slim body which helps their wings to hold their weight easily and more efficiently. This helps them fly better. 

There are many myths about bantams, and they cannot fly, being one of them. But we would like to tell you that it’s absolutely wrong and you don’t have to believe in such rumors. Bantams are great at flying and have been used in competitions, by champions, for a good long time. 

Other chicken breeds that are good at flying are Appenzeller Spitzhauben, Old English Game, La Fleche, Ameraucana, Lakenvelder, Jaerhon, and Fayoumi.

Various hybrid breeds, Red Stars, for example, can also become escape artists in threatening situations. Moreover, some of these breeds are more likely to roost in trees during their quality time. 

Therefore, if you have trees in your backyard, which you love from the bottom of your heart, you might want to work on proper fencing for these breeds. Well, they aren’t going to harm them much, so don’t stress much, though. 

Final Words

To summarise, we have learned that chickens can fly; however, not every breed. We have also understood various breeds that are great flyers and those that cannot fly.

Before reading this blog, did you know that chickens can fly?

Let us know about the same in the comment section down. We are eagerly waiting for your response. At last, we hope you have a rock-and-roll day ahead!

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About the author

I have always been a shopaholic. A lot of times my questions went unanswered when it came to retail questions, so I started Talk Radio News. - Caitlyn Johnson

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