MadSci Network: Zoology |
This is a relative question. Chickens are birds as you know, and even though they have lost most of their ability to fly, mainly because of domestication, they still have the same characteristics of other flying birds,i.e. 1. Air sacs surround the lungs 2. Bones contain numerous air cavities that make them light weight for flying If a chicken "would" float, it could, but since they are not adapted to water, they would attempt to flap and fly out of the water. I assure you a dead chicken would float. The second part of the question follows the samie line of explanation as the first. A chicken would not attempt to swim, because it would exit the water with the flapping of its wings. More specifically, if you dropped a chicken in the middle of the ocean, it would flap and try to fly until exhausted and then it would likely drown, not having the characteristics of water fowl,i.e. 1. Waterproof feathers 2. Webbed feet 3. The ability to right itself in a water environment After the unfortunate demise of the chicken, it would no doubt stay alfloat until some predator or scavenger of the ocean happened upon it and had the pleasure of a chicken dinner.
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