Summer is finally here, and temperatures are rising across the country. If you’re lucky enough to have a pool to cool off in, you’re probably in it a few times a day. The residents of Rainbow Chicken Farm are no exception, and even some of the animals that don’t usually enjoy the pool are splashing around in it.
Rainbow Chicken Farm shared a video of one of their chickens, who they joked ‘identifies as a duck’, taking a swim in the family’s pool. Mom shared in the video’s caption, “My poor hen was confused and decided to go for a swim on a hot day! Who said chickens can’t swim?!”
@rainbowchickenfarm My poor hen was confused and decided to go for a swim on a hot day! Who said chickens can’t swim! #funnychicken #swimmingchicken #chickens #funnyfarmvideos #chickensoftiktok #farmtok
She thinks she’s a duck! I had no idea that chickens could swim or liked to swim! Apparently, I wasn’t the only one that didn’t know chickens swam, and viewers of Rainbow Chicken Farm’s video left nearly a thousand comments…many of which also said they didn’t know chickens liked swimming.
@Surburban Farmer shared, “Never in all my life have I seen a swimming chicken!” @Nikole Clemente added, “I had no idea chickens could swim…” @Danielle Bedard pointed out, “Oh my goodness. She looks like she is having fun!”
Related: Totally Relaxed Chicken Starts Purring While Getting a Bath and It’s Too Cute
Can Chickens Swim?
Commenter @kristypalomino cautioned, “Be careful because that kind of chicken will sink and drown. My vet said absolutely not!” @anna_harvesthomestead agreed, “Just be careful because they don’t have oil in their feathers and will drown because they can’t jump or swim out!” Mom replied, “Yes, we took her right out of there. We were very surprised to find her in the pool. She must have flown in there by mistake!”
I headed over to Know Your Chickens to learn more. Turns out, it’s not the best idea to put your chickens in the pool for a number of reasons. “Yes, chickens can swim – but when given a choice, they will most often make a choice not to.” They go on to say it’s more likely a survival tactic than actual enjoyment.
The Happy Chicken Coop mentioned, “Unlike ducks, chickens do not have webbed feet or waterproof feathers. Ducks are equipped with specialized features such as webbed feet for propulsion and oil-secreting glands that waterproof their feathers, allowing them to swim gracefully. Chickens, on the other hand, have clawed toes designed for scratching the ground, which makes them less effective in water.”
If you would like to give your chickens somewhere to splash around, opt for a small kiddie pool with just a bit of water and avoid any deep water at all costs.