Can a chicken die of being seperated from owner

[GliderFlingYj]

So this actually happened in 2018. I got 2 chickens in 2016 and they were awesome but unfortunately one of them was caught and killed. It left my second one very sad. Eventually she got over it and she started to like me more, follow me around, beg me for treats and do tricks and after a few months she was happy again. We weren’t allowed get anymore chickens because of our HOA(they told me I can keep them until they die). After about an year from my first Ones death, we went on vacation to LA. I was very worried because she was alone and one of my friends was coming to take care of her. About 2 nights into our vacation my dad got a call saying that my chicken had died(probably in her sleep). I was devastated and the rest of my trip was horrible. My parents thought it was because of a very huge storm that may have given her a heart attack but she had been through them alone before so I didn’t think so. I didn’t want to think about what happened anyways she was buried in my backyard and I’ve never wanted to go out again I came out today and I was just near her grave or whatever and it struck me that maybe she died because she was alone. Is it possible that she thought that I had died and therefore died herself? I’m just curious to know. I really miss her.

 

[neo71665]

Chickens are social animals

 

[azygous]

It's unlikely she died from separation anxiety or a broken heart. More likely she had a sudden illness such as a stuck egg or a bacterial infection and no one recognized the symptoms, so she died from lack of treatment. Or she may have had a preexisting condition such as a congenital heart defect that happened to coincide with your being away when she had organ failure.

The stress from not seeing you could have been a tipping point, though. But while it could have weakened her, it probably didn't kill her.

 

[chickens45]

I’m really sorry she sounds like she was a great hen.
are you sure the person was feeding her and taking care of her appropriately?

 

[The Moonshiner]

No you not being tbere didn't cause or contribute to her death.
Chickens die for many reasons but not from anything like what you're thinking.
It was just her time.

 

[RiverOtter]

What Moonshiner said.
Yes, they're social, but they're not so very social that they'll die from being alone.

Sadly, they're just not that long-lived. My oldest hen was 8 years old, and while I've had several get to that age I've also had them die for no reason we could find (and I do autopsy, so it's a fairly thorough check) at 20 months. Between 2 and 4 years is not an uncommon natural lifespan. Odds are it was just her time.

 

[Aunt Theodora]

It is possible that a chicken could be so sad as it was when your first chickened died. She took it hard but usually that is from not eating or drinking. We bought some rabbits and one was a long time pet. The owner was happy she was going to a good home. But she refused to eat or drink. We petted her and did all we could but she just pined away. The chicken was sad when other chicken died so it was an emotional chicken but in two days it would not be likely. Swans do die when they lose their mate. Chickens can be very attached to owners and other chickens. Sorry for your loss.