Can hens die from depression?

[Madison Lorenzen]

Hello all.

One of my girls just passed away. The 6th one. Mareks. Anyway, there’s just 1 left. (I know that she is already infected) Mareks has been in the flock for about a year, and after a couple months, someone shows signs and then passes. Well now we just have 1 left. Can they die from depression? What can I do for her? Thanks.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have read back over a couple of your threads. Sorry for your loss. Have you ever had a necropsy to confirm the Mareks? Chickens are not solitary animals, and they really need another companion. Some people bring a single chicken inside the house in a large dog crate with food water and a roost. Since she may be a carrier for Mareks, you cannot give her away of course. You could check your local thread or farm store in case someone wants to rehome a chicken from a Mareks flock, but then you may lose one of those. A Mareks vaccine will only protect aganst 1 of the 3 or more strains of Mareks disease. I would probably make her a house chicken.

 

[staceyj]

I’m sorry for the losses you’ve suffered.

@Eggcessive gives all the excellent technical suggestions.
I’ll chime in with the emotional...

While you’re deciding how to make this survivor’s life less lonely, whether it be indoors or out, you can use similar sized stuffed animals to keep her company, and all birds like mirrors.
I’d even go so far as to figure out a way to zip tie a stuffie on the roosting bar perhaps.

 

[Keeperofmunchkins]

Yes you could bring her in and she could wear diapers. A lot of people do it. A life outdoors alone is really no life for a chicken. I don't know if chickens can exactly die from depression, but I suppose they could eat less if depressed and become malnourished and die eventually from that.

I do not know much about mareks unfortunately. Is it communicable to other types of animals Inc birds? If not you could attempt to get her to bond with a different animal as a friend like a rabbit or a duck or something? It don't know, that might be unlikely.

 

[Chickassan]

One more vote for house chicken, she'd like it and you probably would too.