Can chickens mourn?!

[chickencheeper]

This not just scared chickens, because other members have reported a similar instance of this however the chicken died of natural causes inside the coop! And still they stayed inside

 

[beckstaar96]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your answers!

See, I thought the same as most of you here, I thought I was humanising the chickens too much perhaps. However I lost nearly my entire flock, including 10 chicks that the hen in question hatched herself last year, but the hen acted as if nothing had happened.

I've had 4 different flocks of chickens and have lost many (foxes) and i have never seen chickens act this way.

I wonder if it's a mix of both maybe then. The roo definiatly protected them, in fact i'm pretty sure that's why he got so badly injured. The hen and 'chick' fled to the top of the garden but our roo will have tried to attack the dog in defence (he wasn't an aggressive roo, only to dogs/cats that threatend him or his flock).

Yesterday the hen and 'chick' wondered around a little, but they did lay low. But today they're both just peering out of their coop, too scared to come out!

It's quite an interesting debate isn't it haha. I'm wondering what to do to help them, they definitely seem out of sorts. They seem to relax a bit when i'm there, so I might go and sit with them for a bit and see what happends.


The 'chick' is actually a roo, he's about 4 months old so i'm hoping he's going to take on the role as 'man of the coop' like my last one.

 

[Birdinhand]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for your answers!

See, I thought the same as most of you here, I thought I was humanising the chickens too much perhaps. However I lost nearly my entire flock, including 10 chicks that the hen in question hatched herself last year, but the hen acted as if nothing had happened.

I've had 4 different flocks of chickens and have lost many (foxes) and i have never seen chickens act this way.

I wonder if it's a mix of both maybe then. The roo definiatly protected them, in fact i'm pretty sure that's why he got so badly injured. The hen and 'chick' fled to the top of the garden but our roo will have tried to attack the dog in defence (he wasn't an aggressive roo, only to dogs/cats that threatend him or his flock).

Yesterday the hen and 'chick' wondered around a little, but they did lay low. But today they're both just peering out of their coop, too scared to come out!

It's quite an interesting debate isn't it haha. I'm wondering what to do to help them, they definitely seem out of sorts. They seem to relax a bit when i'm there, so I might go and sit with them for a bit and see what happends.


The 'chick' is actually a roo, he's about 4 months old so i'm hoping he's going to take on the role as 'man of the coop' like my last one.

I bet that after he matures another couple of months he will start leading once his hormones kick in. I would look around on Craig's list and see if there are any folks out there that are ready to rehome some hens. this may be a particularly un-dramatic time to add hens.

 

[beckstaar96]

I think you're right. A couple of other hens may be a good solution to get him leading. It also might help them feel more like a flock and perhaps less vulnerable!

 

[Sagey_7878]

Okay..Its not mourning as in people. It's the change in the flock. A close buddy is gone and now they need to do things on their own.

I disagree with that.... It’s a combination of that and many other things

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

There are documented cases of a hen raising a single chick and the chick died or was killed by a predator and the hen actually died soon after the chick. Chickens are more complex than we give them credit for. To the OP get some more hens to add to your flock. The new hens will be interested in exploring their new home and hopefully your hen and cockerel will join them.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I know Cornish crosses generally don’t live as long as other breeds but I had a perfectly healthy and happy 8 month Cornish cross pullet that I saved from slaughter. This past March I was forced to rehome 8 of my 10 chickens, I kept my Cornish cross pullet and her silkie pullet friend. After I rehomed the 8 chickens my Cornish cross pullet was walking around their run and calling for them. She was visibly upset and I could see a look of fear in her eyes. That week she fell into a depression. She used to live to run around and forage in the backyard,but now all she did was call for her flock and sit in the yard. She was so sad. The next week she stopped coming out of her coop, she was no longer the happy chicken that she used to be before her flock was rehomed. She passed away that week, I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her because I was on my graduation trip when she passed away. Now I know that some of you will say that since she was a Cornish cross, she was already on her way out, but I disagree. She was foraging and very healthy. Here’s a link to keeping Cornish crosses as pets and someone had them live to be 4 years old see post #5
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cornish-cross-meat-birds.476028/

 

[chickencheeper]

I know Cornish crosses generally don’t live as long as other breeds but I had a perfectly healthy and happy 8 month Cornish cross pullet that I saved from slaughter. This past March I was forced to rehome 8 of my 10 chickens, I kept my Cornish cross pullet and her silkie pullet friend. After I rehomed the 8 chickens my Cornish cross pullet was walking around their run and calling for them. She was visibly upset and I could see a look of fear in her eyes. That week she fell into a depression. She used to live to run around and forage in the backyard,but now all she did was call for her flock and sit in the yard. She was so sad. The next week she stopped coming out of her coop, she was no longer the happy chicken that she used to be before her flock was rehomed. She passed away that week, I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her because I was on my graduation trip when she passed away. Now I know that some of you will say that since she was a Cornish cross, she was already on her way out, but I disagree. She was foraging and very healthy. Here’s a link to keeping Cornish crosses as pets and someone had them live to be 4 years old see post #5
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/cornish-cross-meat-birds.476028/

I’m very sorry for your loss and this does prove our point further, chicken’s do feel emotions and do get depressed. Just cause we are the most intelligent beings on earth doesn’t mean that everything else isn’t as advanced with emotions as we are. Parrots can talk, ravens/crows can solve complex puzzles and use tools, why couldn’t they have as conplex emotions as we do?

 

[beckstaar96]

I've had a look and i can't find any bantam hens for sale in my area. Unfortunately it looks like the breeder i bought them off has closed her business Is there anything else I could do? Much like the cornish cross pullet above, my hen lives for running around a forging but she's just so sad and quiet. She keeps looking for him too, she hasn't called out for him but she keeps looking into the nesting box and looking on the second layer of the coop to see if he's there, it's heartbreaking!

 

[getaclue]

Whether it's a form of mourning, or them reacting to the loss of flockmates, it can, and usually does impact them for awhile, especially in a smaller flock that is well bonded.