What chickens have the best flying ability?

[lcw1995]

Iv'e been loosing my chickens latley to something that I have no idea what. It happens most times during the day when im not here since im at school. I'm not sure its a hawk because theres usually a trail of feathers where it chases my birds then catches it, takes it into the woods, and then takes it under a brushpile to eat it. I'm not sure what it is because like I said, I'm not here. And most often its my bantam cochins,(since they cant run or fly very fast).

So I think im going to make a pen for the cochins and then just get the birds with the best flying ability to free range. Because alot of the time they likke to go over into the horse field into the briars and what not and I want them to be able to fly up and over the briar patches if need be.

So what are the birds that can fly the best?

THanks,

Cole.

 

[centrarchid]

Following are poor representations of what these birds can do. They can do much better when scared.

 

[The Turken Lady]

If you want something that can FLY...Then get a sumatra. The can jump 6 feet into the air with their wings clipped and higher without. My hen,Thalia flew 6 feet in the air,onto a tall fence and then jumped the length of a FOOTBALL FIELD onto a 15 foot pine tree. She jumped down,fine and happy. Phoenixes can fly a great amount too,same with jungle fowl. Sumatras are a nice breed if you work with them from a young age. They'll roost in the trees and they can get away from most ANY predator,since they're directly descended from jungle fowl.

 

[gootziecat]

Spitzhauben, Brabanter, Norwegian Jaerhon, probably most Mediterranean breeds and lightweight breeds

 

[wood&feathers]

Easter egger/Ameracauna types, games, and cubalayas. My cubalayas fly just for fun. When I open the coop door they flush out like pheasants. The young half cuba/half RIR roo who is only allowed out when everyone else is in flies onto the top of the coop to crow. This morning he chose to fly 150' across the yard rather than walk in the snow.

These guys seem to have different approaches to flight depending on their mood. The roosters in particular have a "showoff" mode where they seem to try and make a loud snapping sound with their wings while flying straight up a few feet. When they fly to get somewhere they are much quieter, more efficient.

I think intelligence and awareness has more to do with survival than flight ability. My rooster right now is very conservative about hawks. When he gives the alarm, my girls disappear. I lost quite a few with a previous rooster. He just didn't seem to care. He growled the alarm but just went about business like nothing was wrong.

 

[Nickeyo]

My best chickens for flying will have to be my Phoenix, their large wings and big tail means they are perfect for flight, my hens will fly up onto the roof of my house to get away from my roosters from other flocks when they try to get them. When they fly back down their wings are so large for their body and they are so light they just open their wings and glide down, but they are also really friendly. Also when they go back to their stable at night instead of walking back they fly from fence to fence.

 

[fis234]

 

[Ribh]

I have a Campine that once did a 50' circuit @ canopy level. Mine are all pretty good fliers & their relative, the Fayoumi, are supposed to be pretty good too but I've not kept them so couldn't swear to it. My Vorwerks aren't bad & all my bantams are pretty good fliers too.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

my jungle fowl hen can fly twelve feet straight up into the air- she likes to fly up onto the roof

 

[carolinagirl58]

I don't think any breed of domestic chicken can actually fly like a bird, although some can get off the ground and go over things better than others. I used to keep Old English Game Bantams and they'd roost high up in the trees at night. I had game chickens for a while too. One of them ran away and lived in the woods on his own for at least a year. I'd hear him way off in the woods crowing so I knew he was ok, but we never did catch him. The game chickens roosted high in the trees too. And no fences stopped them. But I don't think even those chickens could actually get off the ground and fly for any distance.