Can a hen be depressed?

[Harris14]

I had my beautiful white hen in a pen adjacent to my main run with her 3 babies who were around a month old. A hawk swooped down and killed two and took the other. The rooster ran in the coop with the other ladies instead of trying to help. I picked her up and I said it’s ok Blanche, you tried. She laid her head down on my shoulder and growled like she knew what I was talking about. I put her in an outside dog kennel with a top to be safe in case it came back for her and to let her be by herself for a while. She still tried calling them. After a while I put her in the main run (which also has a top). She stays to herself. Won’t have nothing to do with the roo. She actually flogged him. She’s eating and drinking good. It’s been a few weeks since it’s happened. She mainly mopes around and keeps looking around. Could she be traumatized or get ptsd?

 

[Callender Girl]

Traumatized? Absolutely!! I've seen that in my own flocks when a predator killed all her coop mates and left one girl all alone.

In my experience, it could easily take weeks for your girl to adjust to life without her babies, especially since she witnessed it and probably has the fear of another attack seared into her brain.

Eventually, Blanche will probably return to "normal," with enough time, patience and care from you. I am sorry for the loss of her chicks and wish you both the best.

 

[Harris14]

Traumatized? Absolutely!! I've seen that in my own flocks when a predator killed all her coop mates and left one girl all alone.

In my experience, it could easily take weeks for your girl to adjust to life without her babies, especially since she witnessed it and probably has the fear of another attack seared into her brain.

Eventually, Blanche will probably return to "normal," with enough time, patience and care from you. I am sorry for the loss of her chicks and wish you both the best.

Thank you. I feel so bad for her.