Chicken PTSD?

[Chuck K]

Until about ten days ago, I had three chickens. One was six years old and stopped laying a couple years ago. Two others I raised from chicks hatched about seven months ago.

The old girl died. She went into the nesting box, went to sleep, and never woke up. She was in the box about 12 hours before I found her dead.

The young girls were laying daily. They have not laid an egg since the older one died. To my knowledge, they have not gone to the nesting box either.

Is this some kind of PTSD, and do they ever get over it?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Sorry about your lost. If it's possible, have you tried moving the nesting box to a different spot in the coop? Have you cleaned out and added new nesting materials since hand?

 

[Chuck K]

Yes, I cleaned it out right away and put new straw in the box. It's in a fixed location in the coop, so I can't move the box.

 

[LaFleche]

They need some time to adjust and get over it, as every alteration within their little flock can cause them to stop laying for some time. It might even take some weeks to start them again.

Sorry you lost your old girl.