When Chickens Fly

With six brothers and sisters there was never a dull moment growing up.  The adventures were never ending, and the experiences memorable.  I remember one spring Daddy brought home a box of chicks to be raised.  They lived in the garage under the house, until they would be big enough to move over the hill.  David and Bob decided to teach them to swim. So they put them in the middle pond and trained them until Mom discovered their endeavor, and swiftly put a stop to it, luckily before any chicks drowned, although my brothers said they were sure that some of them had learned to swim. Was this a tall tale?

Research in this day of technology provided enlightenment. Any farmer who raises both chickens and ducks will tell you that chicks will follow the ducklings into the water and float and paddle about just as well as the ducks but a little slower as their feet are not webbed. The mother hen will also reluctantly enter the water to retrieve an errant chick. Chickens do not enjoy getting wet, they do not like the pouring rain, they do not bathe in water but yes, they will swim.