However, they are not very good at it. Source(s): https://shorte.im/a83iq. The wild chicken (Gallus ), a bird originally from India, China, and southwest Asia, is the closest ancestor we have domesticated for over 8,000 years. Their small wings allow them to fly for only a moment or two. Chickens can fly for short distances. Most can fly just enough to get over a fence or escape from predators. Why can't chickens fly? Ive owned chickens for years, and when there young they fly fine, they dont get all that high, but they can get up to head height and fly level for about 20 yards when they want to. They adapted living on the ground and were surviving mostly using their legs. Another example is the penguins, which, unable to fly, their wings evolved to be used as fins and thus swim underwater at high speed. Most chickens cannot fly very far. Tom R. 9 years ago. Why can’t chickens fly long distances? Why Can T Chickens Fly. However, they can’t fly too high or too long. Can Chickens Actually Fly? Modern chickens were bred from the Junglefowl. Now, the forest fowls were like the Turkey and they depended mostly on their legs to run from predators. Modern chickens are bred as food or to produce eggs, so they do not have very large wings compared to their body. Just as chickens don’t fly, there are other birds that can’t do it either, as is the case of ostriches that don’t fly but having such strong legs, they allow it to move at high speed. Why Chickens Can’t Fly / Historical Anatomy. So, to recap, chickens are bad at flying because their direct ancestor was bad at flying, because they’re adapted for spending time on the ground. References: What is visual communication and why it matters; Latest posts In the wild, they roost in trees, not on the ground. Why Can’t Chickens Fly? Because they ARE able to fly. As for the suggestion, that’s definitely interesting. Chickens are not a natural species; they were created by breeding the red jungle fowl into a … The chicken that we know today is 100% domesticated. 0 0. Coming back to the initial question, yes chickens can fly. Why your go-to-market strategy should be industry focused; Dec. 1, 2020. Chickens were domesticated from “jungle fowl” (wild birds in Asia). Unlike the wild hen, which can fly short distances, the domestic hen can barely lift off from the ground. It is purely a human creation. It can’t be found in the wild. Oh, not all of them, but many breeds are. Chickens can fly, but not very well. Game, Bantam, many breeds can fly just as good as their ancestor, the Red Jungle Fowl. To put it simply; it is a trait that has been bred out of them over the centuries. When chickens can’t walk properly, they are referred to as “lame,” but that doesn’t mean they’re not cool! A: Chickens actually CAN fly! 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