How did the chicken cross the road? If it\u2019s a modern breed, probably not by flying. But chickens haven\u2019t always been so grounded.<\/strong><\/p>

Our domesticated birds are mainly descended from red junglefowl, native to India and South-East Asia, where they\u2019re capable of small flights and near-vertical lift off into trees, to escape predators and to roost.<\/p>

What is the world’s heaviest flying bird?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
How do birds fly?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
Flying animals: discover the different species that can take to the sky<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
Flightless birds: how did some birds lose their ability to fly?<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
Yet in the 8,000 years since humans began rearing chickens for food, the selective pressures became less about escaping predators, and more about our gastronomic predilections.<\/p>
Breeding for fat thighs and large breast muscles have added so much extra bulk that many common breeds now struggle to get airborne. <\/p>
That said, smaller chicken breeds<\/a> like bantams \u2013 the featherweights of the chicken coop<\/a> \u2013 can still escape many a low fence. The current world record for chicken flight is 13 seconds, with the longest distancing a whopping 92m. That\u2019s one giant leap for chicken kind!<\/p>
Which came first \u2013 the chicken or the egg?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
Do hens have teeth?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>
‘Mike the Headless Chicken’: who was he and how long did he live without a head?<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>
Interested in keeping chickens? Then check out our sister title BBC Countryfile’s Poultry section<\/a> for lots of tips and advice<\/strong><\/p><\/div><\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n
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