Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: yanksfan on May 13, 2007, 09:29:49 AM
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can chickens fly?
Strange question, more of a pondering then a question.
Got into a strange conversation on this subject with one of the guys at work.
His position was flat out "chickens can't fly".
I disagree, now you may say, tho chickens can get airbourne and into a glide with a wing flapping motion,it's more of a hop from the legs combined with wing lift rather then a true act of flight.
I at first thought of this,but going by this statment the wright brothers first flight was not a flight at all but a glide down hill off a slight slope aided by an engine and prop.
If the wright brothers can be credited with the first controlled powered flight in this manner then I feel a chicken with the aid of some devise, oh say, a cannon, would have them soaring in flight like pro's! Why as a former artillery man myself I can assure you that a frozen chicken with the assist of a 105mm howitzer (say charge 5) could achieve at least an alt of a couple thousand feet and a distence of several miles. Now if that aint flyin, well I just don't know.
I feel imho that chickens are underated natural aviators and should be given their proper respect as such.
And darn tastie too!
Now I gaurentee you some dweeb's will argue with me,but gosh darn it the facts are the facts! And don't even bring up the airodynamic possibilitys of a penguin, it just isn't the same.
Now who's with me!
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Yankees suck :aok :D :lol
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Chickans can fly
they just arent capable of sustained flight
And Vanscrew is right
The Yankees suck :cool:
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^ Mass goon drops suck :aok :D :lol
Haha. Are you still a Bish these days, Vans?
On topic, I believe that the penguin is a far superior animal.
When you show me a chicken doing this \/ ....I may reconsider.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/babycheeses/Penguin_Avatar2.gif)
:rofl
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Originally posted by VansCrew1
Yankees suck :aok :D :lol
I didn't want to say this, but VANS IS A COMMIE!
There it had to be said.
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They Can Fly just not sustained...More like gliding...
I tested this out once when I was a kid...
I was around 9 years old and I threw one of my grandfather's chicken off the top of the house to see if it would fly...
It just Flapped and glided Down and ran like a biotch :lol
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Originally posted by yanksfan
can chickens fly?
Yes.
Usually in P-51s.
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Yes, chickens can fly. They don't do it often or for very far for a couple of reasons.
Chickens belong to a group of birds that are ground-oriented, and generally only fly to evade predators and to get into a safe roost. Birds that are similar to chickens in this respect are pheasants, turkeys, quail, grouse, prairie chickens, and others.
Birds that fit into this category generally have "white" muscle comprising the major flight muscles (white meat). This type of muscle allows for a very explosive take-off, and rapid acceleration, but over only a fairly short duration. A pheasant is a good example. It explodes out of cover, accelerates rapidly away, but then will glide back into cover again in only a few hundred yards. I can't find my written resource on this, but I believe it is due to the build up of lactic acid in the flight muscles. This type of flight burns energy very rapidly, and exhausts the bird. If re-flushed, the second flush is much weaker and the bird is much less likely to escape.
Birds of this type use camoflage as their primary defense, and flight is only a last resort. They will also fly up into roosts at night to evade ground predators. They primarily travel by walking or running.
Birds that fly greater distances rely on "dark" muscle comprising their flight muscles (dark meat). An example here would be a duck or goose. These birds use flight as their major means of locomotion. They require a more time to gain the air, and accelerate slower. However, the dark muscle allows them much greater endurance. These birds may be airborn for hours at a time.
Another factor relating to the chicken is the "conditioning" of the bird. Physically, these birds are obese and don't get any exercise. We like this because their meat will be tender. But compare a couch potato to an olympic runner, and ask yourself- "Is a couch potato capable of sustained running?" The couch potato can run, sure, but it won't be pretty. Can the couch potato be physically conditioned to run well? Lack of use causes the flight muscles of the chicken to weaken.
Another "conditioning" factor related to the chicken is that it has been conditioned to no longer fear humans as a predator. Organisms that want to eat you generally don't feed you first. Humans do, but that is not normal predator/prey interaction. Why would they fly to escape us, when we have the chicken feed?
Yes, they can fly. They just don't need to, or want to.
MtnMan
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I guess I'll go outside and remind my chickens that they can't fly or do extended flight next time I see em doing there extended flights around our farm or going clear over the roof of our 2 story house.................:)
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From somewhere on the interenet I'd rather not say (but I heard it on the radio too):
The difference between white meat and dark meat is attributable to the amount of myoglobin in the muscles. Myoglobin is stored in muscles that get exercise, because they need more oxygen. The more exercise a muscle gets, the higher the concentration of myoglobin. Since a modern domesticated chicken is basically flightless, the breast and wings get very little if any activity, so the muscles develop very little myoglobin. Where this really becomes evident is in flying fowl like ducks; the meat is more of a reddish color all over, which is why ducks are basically all dark meat.
What mntmn said.
wrngway
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Originally posted by Xasthur
^ Mass goon drops suck :aok :D :lol
Haha. Are you still a Bish these days, Vans?
On topic, I believe that the penguin is a far superior animal.
When you show me a chicken doing this \/ ....I may reconsider.
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c26/babycheeses/Penguin_Avatar2.gif)
:rofl
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Brings to mind the Turkey Drop episode of WKRP in Cinci. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL :rofl
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Originally posted by mtnman
Yes, chickens can fly. They don't do it often or for very far for a couple of reasons.
Chickens belong to a group of birds that are ground-oriented, and generally only fly to evade predators and to get into a safe roost. Birds that are similar to chickens in this respect are pheasants, turkeys, quail, grouse, prairie chickens, and others.
(...) This type of muscle allows for a very explosive take-off, and rapid acceleration, but over only a fairly short duration.
MtnMan
Just wondering if the ME163 are similar to chickens too.
:rofl
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Wow!
Just goes to show there is much more to this whole chicken thing then I had given thought to.
I really never expected a logical factual explanation, tho I must say the answers receaved "well done".
but isn't anyone going to mention anything about my 105mm howitzer flight program for frozen chickens?
I mean common, i set it up somebody please slam dunk it.
I'm kinda disappointed.
I mean picture it, chicken, howitzer........Funny?
I'm sad now.....it was funny.....it was.....the penguin was too....as much as i hate to say it....it was....not as funny as a howitzer firing a frozen chicken, but funny....
ok,
maybe not that funny......but... i'll be back....with something funny....I will,....you'll see....
my wife said it was funny....my daughter too.....and they have no sence of humor.....
it was......"SNIFF".....funny............
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If you throw them.
-SR-
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Go Yankees!
-SR-:aok
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The longest known chicken flight was around 13 secs. I say if they can get up and get any distance then that is flight. Nothing to be proud of by most bird standards. But hey, it's better than nothing.
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i grew up on a dairy farm. we raised chickens to eat and also for my relitives, and also kept some in the in the coop year around for eggs.about 100 to 150 per year, were raised from chicks. If you did not clip yhe wing feathers on the young ones they would fly ovet the 8' fence around the chicken yard. once they got older they were then too fat to fly over the fence. so yes they can fly short distances.
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Originally posted by yanksfan
Wow!
Just goes to show there is much more to this whole chicken thing then I had given thought to.
I really never expected a logical factual explanation, tho I must say the answers receaved "well done".
but isn't anyone going to mention anything about my 105mm howitzer flight program for frozen chickens?
I mean common, i set it up somebody please slam dunk it.
I'm kinda disappointed.
I mean picture it, chicken, howitzer........Funny?
I'm sad now.....it was funny.....it was.....the penguin was too....as much as i hate to say it....it was....not as funny as a howitzer firing a frozen chicken, but funny....
ok,
maybe not that funny......but... i'll be back....with something funny....I will,....you'll see....
my wife said it was funny....my daughter too.....and they have no sence of humor.....
it was......"SNIFF".....funny............
(http://www.airfarce.com/video/images/vol1/vol1k.gif)
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Originally posted by mtnman
Yes, chickens can fly. They don't do it often or for very far for a couple of reasons.
Chickens belong to a group of birds that are ground-oriented, and generally only fly to evade predators and to get into a safe roost. Birds that are similar to chickens in this respect are pheasants, turkeys, quail, grouse, prairie chickens, and others.
Birds that fit into this category generally have "white" muscle comprising the major flight muscles (white meat).....
MtnMan
I've never seen a Pheasant or Grouse with white breast meat.
and yes, chickens can fly.
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Originally posted by blkmgc
I've never seen a Pheasant or Grouse with white breast meat.
In wisconsin we have the ruffed grouse and yes it has white breast meat;)
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Originally posted by Hajo
Brings to mind the Turkey Drop episode of WKRP in Cinci. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL :rofl
Yep. A CLASSIC for one and all. You can't bring up one like that without the linky though......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZByndN_ffyw&eurl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZByndN_ffyw&eurl)
http://radio.about.com/library/wkrpturkeydrop.ram (http://radio.about.com/library/wkrpturkeydrop.ram)
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Here's an exerpt from a research essay for you blkmgc-
"The flight muscles of most birds are red in color ("dark meat") because of the presence of many fibers containing red oxygen-carrying compounds, myoglobin and cytochrome. They are also richly supplied with blood and are designed for sustained flight. Lighter-colored muscles ("white meat"), with many fewer such fibers, are found in pheasants, grouse, quail, and other gallinaceous birds. These are also well supplied with blood, are apparently capable of carrying a heavy work load for a short time, but fatigue more rapidly. If a quail is flushed a few times in a row, it will become so exhausted it will be incapable of further flight."
Copyright ® 1988 by Paul R. Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin, and Darryl Wheye.
Go here for the whole shebang (interesting read...)
http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Adaptations.htm
Just as an FYI, the pheasant I cut up earlier today definately had "white" breast muscles. Not as "white" as a chicken, maybe, but definately "whiter" than a duck.
As a falconer (I train and hunt with birds of prey) I have an above-average interest and knowledge of birds. I can honestly say that the AH forum was the last place I thought I'd be discussing avian musculature though! Very cool!
Back to the cannon / frozen chicken thing, it was kinda funny. I saw something similar but with raw chickens on MythBusters firing chickens at airplanes to simulate bird collisions and associated damage.
I had a blackpowder cannon that I built a few years ago (sold it recently). It had a 1" bore, and fired lead balls (.98 diameter). We tried firing frozen hotdogs and bratwurst's out of it. It worked fine, but was not all that exciting. When fired, the frozen brat looks JUST LIKE the lead balls. That's because you can't see either one. Big bang, lotsa smoke, and a puff of dust downrange. The brats didn't fly all that straight though. Non-frozen, they turn into a more "liquid" state, lol.
MtnMan
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Usually in P-51s.
+1
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Originally posted by mtnman
Not as "white" as a chicken, maybe, but definately "whiter" than a duck.
MtnMan
I think thats where we had our wires crossed. Definately not white like a chicken or any other domesticated bird..but definately not as dark as duck or Goose. Was starting to question what I've been seeing for the past 25 years or so of hunting. hehe.
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Originally posted by mtnman
Back to the cannon / frozen chicken thing, it was kinda funny. I saw something similar but with raw chickens on MythBusters firing chickens at airplanes to simulate bird collisions and associated damage.
I had a blackpowder cannon that I built a few years ago (sold it recently). It had a 1" bore, and fired lead balls (.98 diameter). We tried firing frozen hotdogs and bratwurst's out of it. It worked fine, but was not all that exciting. When fired, the frozen brat looks JUST LIKE the lead balls. That's because you can't see either one. Big bang, lotsa smoke, and a puff of dust downrange. The brats didn't fly all that straight though. Non-frozen, they turn into a more "liquid" state, lol.
MtnMan [/B]
Well this is really where I thought we would be headed.......but, thats ok, I try to keep it entertaining for every one...........just hope Dick Cheaney doesn't show up and shoot anyone in the face.
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Yanksfan thats not flying thats "falling with style" :)
Yes chickens fly to get up to roost's at night or evade preditors, just not far or fast. Like humans some are couch potatoes, some are more athletic.
Yes Ruffed Grouse have white breast meat, and don't fly far.
Sharptail Grouse have darker breast meat and will often fly a half mile or more.
I think Canadian Goose is the Ultimate dark breast. And yes they can fly for DAYS . And have been clocked at 60 mph in level flight.
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Originally posted by E25280
Yes.
Usually in P-51s.
Originally posted by Bubbajj
Usually in P-51s.
+1
BBZZZZZZTTT
Wrong. Chickens always fly La7s.
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This exact dispute arose back when I was an aspiring aviator in the early 80s at Central Missouri State University. It was resolved by the expedient of obtaining a chicken and releasing it from a Taylorcraft at an altitude of 1000 feet AGL. I dislike cruelty to animals in any form but was not in a position to intercede before the fact. I can, however, report that the flight characteristics of this particular chicken approximated those of a set of car keys.
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I'm faar more intersted in sheep aviation,...lemmie know when sheep fly ,.. I liked the post, humor is good medicine.:D
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Originally posted by mtnman
Yes, chickens can fly. They don't do it often or for very far for a couple of reasons.
Chickens belong to a group of birds that are ground-oriented, and generally only fly to evade predators and to get into a safe roost. Birds that are similar to chickens in this respect are pheasants, turkeys, quail, grouse, prairie chickens, and others.
Birds that fit into this category generally have "white" muscle comprising the major flight muscles (white meat). This type of muscle allows for a very explosive take-off, and rapid acceleration, but over only a fairly short duration. A pheasant is a good example. It explodes out of cover, accelerates rapidly away, but then will glide back into cover again in only a few hundred yards. I can't find my written resource on this, but I believe it is due to the build up of lactic acid in the flight muscles. This type of flight burns energy very rapidly, and exhausts the bird. If re-flushed, the second flush is much weaker and the bird is much less likely to escape.
Birds of this type use camoflage as their primary defense, and flight is only a last resort. They will also fly up into roosts at night to evade ground predators. They primarily travel by walking or running.
Birds that fly greater distances rely on "dark" muscle comprising their flight muscles (dark meat). An example here would be a duck or goose. These birds use flight as their major means of locomotion. They require a more time to gain the air, and accelerate slower. However, the dark muscle allows them much greater endurance. These birds may be airborn for hours at a time.
Another factor relating to the chicken is the "conditioning" of the bird. Physically, these birds are obese and don't get any exercise. We like this because their meat will be tender. But compare a couch potato to an olympic runner, and ask yourself- "Is a couch potato capable of sustained running?" The couch potato can run, sure, but it won't be pretty. Can the couch potato be physically conditioned to run well? Lack of use causes the flight muscles of the chicken to weaken.
Another "conditioning" factor related to the chicken is that it has been conditioned to no longer fear humans as a predator. Organisms that want to eat you generally don't feed you first. Humans do, but that is not normal predator/prey interaction. Why would they fly to escape us, when we have the chicken feed?
Yes, they can fly. They just don't need to, or want to.
MtnMan
Thank you Cliff Clavin:p
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Having grown up part of my life on a very rural farm with PLENTY of yardbirds...
What mtnman said.
And GO CUBS!
68ROX
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And the winner is...........with out a dout the funniest chicken flight comparison I have ever heard.....lmfao..........
Originally posted by Casca
This exact dispute arose back when I was an aspiring aviator in the early 80s at Central Missouri State University. It was resolved by the expedient of obtaining a chicken and releasing it from a Taylorcraft at an altitude of 1000 feet AGL. I dislike cruelty to animals in any form but was not in a position to intercede before the fact. I can, however, report that the flight characteristics of this particular chicken approximated those of a set of car keys.
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well for those who have parrots and have the wings clipped they know thaty their brid is not going to fly but jump or fall safely. I think thats wat a chicken does jumps far and falls safely!:aok
so no flight!
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Originally posted by E25280
Yes.
Usually in P-51s.
Nah they fly in
RUN90 D-9's
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Originally posted by mtnman
Back to the cannon / frozen chicken thing, it was kinda funny. I saw something similar but with raw chickens on MythBusters firing chickens at airplanes to simulate bird collisions and associated damage.
I had a blackpowder cannon that I built a few years ago (sold it recently). It had a 1" bore, and fired lead balls (.98 diameter). We tried firing frozen hotdogs and bratwurst's out of it. It worked fine, but was not all that exciting. When fired, the frozen brat looks JUST LIKE the lead balls. That's because you can't see either one. Big bang, lotsa smoke, and a puff of dust downrange. The brats didn't fly all that straight though. Non-frozen, they turn into a more "liquid" state, lol.
MtnMan
Chickens outta cannons?? (http://www.snopes.com/science/cannon.htm)
wrngway
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Yes they can, just not very well or for very long. :aok