The bizarre item was found at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
Photos posted online by America’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) - which is responsible for airport security - show the pistol had been wrapped in brown parcel tape before being stashed inside the chicken’s cavity.
The TSA was quick to cash in on the wealth of puns presented by the strange discovery.
“There’s a personal fowl here,” its Instagram post began. “The plot chickens as we barrel our way closer to Thanksgiving.
“For us, it’s a time to be thankful that our officers are always working around the cluck to keep you safe.
”We hate to beak it to you here, but stuffing a firearm in your holiday bird for travel is just a baste of time.”
It went on to say the idea “wasn’t even half-baked; it was raw, greasy and obviously unsupervised”.
“Feather you like it or not, there are rules for traveling with guns and ammunition,” it added.
Many social media users remarked at the apparent stupidity of the gun owner’s plan.
“Do these people not understand how x-ray machines work?” asked one person on Instagram.
Others welcomed the TSA’s “corny dad jokes” and piled on with a few of their own.
“Maybe it’s a recipe? Pollo con Pistole?” said one. “Bang bang chicken”, another offered, while one quipped “Glock a doodle doo”.
