Guess what? Chickens CAN swim!

[BarnyardChaos]

Well, they can float, anyway. One of my 11-week-old pullets ended up in the cows' watering tank this evening! I wouldn't have known, except she squeaked and splashed a little when I went out to lock up the coop. I spun around with my flashlight, and there was her little red head peeking up over the edge of the tank at me. Poor thing! I waded through ankle-deep mud, pee and manure to pick her soggy butt out of there, nearly lost a shoe. No matter. I stuck her under my hoodie next to my body, then finished my chicken chores while she quietly shivered, head peeking out. I don't have a blow-dryer, but I toweled her off then put her in the basement brooder with a heat lamp for a couple of hours. Once fully dry, I carried her back out to the coop and put her on a roost next to her group of buddies. She peeped and cooed for me, and settled right down. Praying there's no respiratory issues arise from her little swim. I don't think she was in there for long.

Dang it, wish I'd taken a photo, but I was so alarmed and hurried to get her out that I forgot!

 

[cavemanrich]

Glad you got to her soon enough.

 

[Callender Girl]

Hope she's doing okay now! Thank goodness you found her!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

She likely floated because of her small size and lack of waterlogged feathers. Not because she was actually swimming

 

[FunClucks]

Well, they can float, anyway. One of my 11-week-old pullets ended up in the cows' watering tank this evening! I wouldn't have known, except she squeaked and splashed a little when I went out to lock up the coop. I spun around with my flashlight, and there was her little red head peeking up over the edge of the tank at me. Poor thing! I waded through ankle-deep mud, pee and manure to pick her soggy butt out of there, nearly lost a shoe. No matter. I stuck her under my hoodie next to my body, then finished my chicken chores while she quietly shivered, head peeking out. I don't have a blow-dryer, but I toweled her off then put her in the basement brooder with a heat lamp for a couple of hours. Once fully dry, I carried her back out to the coop and put her on a roost next to her group of buddies. She peeped and cooed for me, and settled right down. Praying there's no respiratory issues arise from her little swim. I don't think she was in there for long.

Dang it, wish I'd taken a photo, but I was so alarmed and hurried to get her out that I forgot!

So glad you found her in time and that she's okay!!!

I get it about the photos. One of my chickens managed to get herself into the fox trap. I was much more worried about rescuing her than taking a picture, but that would have been such a great picture!

 

[Ridgerunner]

They can float because their density is less than water, even when waterlogged. Their bodies are light enough that they can fly. They can motor around, pretty much like a dog paddle. Some people consider that swimming, to me whether they are swimming or not is semantics.

My worry about them in water they can't get out of is not drowning but hypothermia. Their feathers don't have the oil duck feathers do to keep then dry and warm. Unlike ducks, they cannot fly out of water.

 

[Kanekoded]

Chickens can absolutely swim. I didn't think they could until I saw it with my own eyes. Here, I found the video:

 

[Poultrybonkers]

They cant swim ive lost ones from drowning they float until feathers get to wet and heavy then sink

 

[BarnyardChaos]

All is well this morning. I worried about finding a dead or dying chicken in the coop, but she was fine.

 

[LhickenChicken]

Well, they can float, anyway. One of my 11-week-old pullets ended up in the cows' watering tank this evening! I wouldn't have known, except she squeaked and splashed a little when I went out to lock up the coop. I spun around with my flashlight, and there was her little red head peeking up over the edge of the tank at me. Poor thing! I waded through ankle-deep mud, pee and manure to pick her soggy butt out of there, nearly lost a shoe. No matter. I stuck her under my hoodie next to my body, then finished my chicken chores while she quietly shivered, head peeking out. I don't have a blow-dryer, but I toweled her off then put her in the basement brooder with a heat lamp for a couple of hours. Once fully dry, I carried her back out to the coop and put her on a roost next to her group of buddies. She peeped and cooed for me, and settled right down. Praying there's no respiratory issues arise from her little swim. I don't think she was in there for long.

Dang it, wish I'd taken a photo, but I was so alarmed and hurried to get her out that I forgot!

I'm sorry, but that's just REALLY funny.