The theory that chickens can swim will probably stir up a debate when discussed amongst any group of intelligent human beings. Some will say that it is absolutely unbelieveable to think a chicken can swim and others will argue why not?
Some of the arguments I have heard people use to dispel this theory are as follows:
1. They don't have webbed feet.
2. They don't have waterproof feathers.
3. They are too heavy and will sink.
4. They lack the ability to right themselves in a water environment.
It would be a formidable question to attempt, simply because it wouldn't be easy to find answers to. Chickens are naturally averse to any huge expanse of water such as lakes, rivers, ponds and the ocean. A chicken would never attempt to swim on its own, and when dropped into any form of deep water, would exit the water with a mere flapping of its wings. Hence, it would be quite arduous and prohibitive to put this theory to the test.
Then the time came when I had the very opportunity to put this theory to the test. That was when I was working as the resident veterinarian of a poultry farm. So decided to find out once and for all if chickens could indeed swim. One fine sunny afternoon, I tucked a 5 week-old chicken under my arm and I climbed up to the water tank situated above the poultry house. I then deftly placed it into the water. I then quickly covered the lid of the tank but left a space of about half a centimetre and peeped through the gap to see what would happen next.
The much awaited outcome? *drum roll please* The chicken swam round and round the tank happily! No signs of distress, anxiety or struggling throughout the whole half hour as I stood there observing it closely. It remained afloat, buoyant as a duck!
Some of the arguments I have heard people use to dispel this theory are as follows:
1. They don't have webbed feet.
2. They don't have waterproof feathers.
3. They are too heavy and will sink.
4. They lack the ability to right themselves in a water environment.
It would be a formidable question to attempt, simply because it wouldn't be easy to find answers to. Chickens are naturally averse to any huge expanse of water such as lakes, rivers, ponds and the ocean. A chicken would never attempt to swim on its own, and when dropped into any form of deep water, would exit the water with a mere flapping of its wings. Hence, it would be quite arduous and prohibitive to put this theory to the test.
Then the time came when I had the very opportunity to put this theory to the test. That was when I was working as the resident veterinarian of a poultry farm. So decided to find out once and for all if chickens could indeed swim. One fine sunny afternoon, I tucked a 5 week-old chicken under my arm and I climbed up to the water tank situated above the poultry house. I then deftly placed it into the water. I then quickly covered the lid of the tank but left a space of about half a centimetre and peeped through the gap to see what would happen next.
The much awaited outcome? *drum roll please* The chicken swam round and round the tank happily! No signs of distress, anxiety or struggling throughout the whole half hour as I stood there observing it closely. It remained afloat, buoyant as a duck!
Yes, chickens can swim very well, just as horses, cats and rats can too! Yes, so the folklore of the Pied Piper of Hamelin was both fictitious and delusory! The only species that probably needs to be taught how to swim would be humans. We would otherwise drown quite naturally. How's that for superiority in the animal kingdom and what we consider the most intelligent animal species on this planet?!
21 comments:
Oooh cruel! Lucky the poor chicken licken didn't drown!
Disclaimer: No animals were harmed or traumatised in the above exercise.
Fun story, but humans can naturally swim.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for dropping by.
Funny you should say that, because I almost drowned when I was an infant.
If not for some kind man who rescued me then, I wouldn't be here today.
We also tested this in the backyard pool with one of our hens after debating the matter. Working on the theory we could fish it out before drowning if it couldn't. But no the chicken seemed quite content to float around the pool.
Amazing, isn't it?!
They sure can.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ_NdsTBuyg
My chicken drowned tonight! In the tiniest fish pond at that. Sweetest chicken, too. I didn't know a chicken couldn't swim - or at least this one couldn't.
Your chicken probably could not climb out of the pond and drowned of exhaustion.
Even fishes can drown if they are exhausted and cannot get enough aeration through their gills.
When growing up in East Texas our hens were killed by coyotes or dogs and the young chicks imprinted on our duck... and several drown in the wading pool we had set up for the ducks. They just followed her out into the water. Maybe I'll suggest to my dad that next time he set up a ramp inside the pool as well as out.
When growing up in East Texas our hens were killed by coyotes or dogs and the young chicks imprinted on our duck... and several drown in the wading pool we had set up for the ducks. They just followed her out into the water. Maybe I'll suggest to my dad that next time he set up a ramp inside the pool as well as out.
on Yahoo I searched for " can chickens swim" because my husband and I were talking about it a few weeks ago and he was saying that they couldnt, so if one of ours ever decided to go for a swim in our pool, it would drown. Wellllll, this morning when I went out to feed the chickens ( I only have 4 ), I never even thought about the fact that 1 of them was not there eating. I went to look in the pool to see if I needed to clean it today and guess where the other chicken was???? YEP! In the pool. She was drenched, but her little chicken legs were moving back and forth, not as fast as a duck, but she was swimming all the same. When she stopped moving her feet she floated. There is no telling how long she had been in there, we got out of the pool at 8 pm last night and hadnt looked at it since then until 6:30 this morning. She was freezing cold ( shivering violently ) and too weak to walk, so she must have been in there for a long time. I put a towel in the dryer and got it warm and wrapped her in it and after about an hour she was back on her feet. She is out there with the rest of the chickens running around the yard now. So yes, thank GOD, chickens CAN swim.
My chickens LOVE to swim!! You can see them swimming here:
http://ourcountrychronicles.blogspot.com/2011/08/silly-swimming-chickens-i-mean-ducks-i.html
Thank you because we have two hens and I wanted to put a water feature in the coop
Cool story, but I hope that you were prepared to explain to the owner that you killed his bird in a science experiment if you were wrong.
The chicks know NOT swim.
You can see here: http://www.bloggingtune.com/2014/03/can-chickens-swim.html
We raised a hen and a duck. Chickie was determined to do anything duckie did. Well duckie decided to take a swim in our koi fish pond and chickie jumped in right behind her. Both of them had a great time in the pond. Pond had slanted sides so when chickie was ready to get out, she just walked right up the sides and out of the pond. So yes chickens can swim. I was so amazed that I took pictures of them swimming around in the pond and one of chickie walked up the side and out of the pond when she was done.
Yes they can swim. We had a duck and a hen. Hen was determined to do anything duck did. Duckie decided to go for a swim in the koi fish pond so chickie jumped in right behind her. Both swam around in there for about a half hour. I was so amazed to see a hen swimming that I took pictures. The pond had slanted sides so when chickie was finished swimming, she just walked up the side and out of the pond. I have pictures of that too.
I left a 1 foot tall basin in my hen coop and some rain got into it overnight due to really heavy rain and when i checked the coop the next morn I found a dead hen floating in the basin. Never make that mistake. I'm an idiot.
I disagree that all hens can swin and have impirical evidence.
Yes your so right chickens can swim. But I do believe they can float due to oil on their feathers.
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