Chickens Feelings

[ChooksinChoppers]

Do Chickens miss their siblings when some are taken away? I just gave a away 3 young bantams and when I went back out to the teen coop the remaining ones were making noises I hadnt heard before...kinda soft, sad, uncertain cheeps

they made me feel bad! Waaaah!

 

[ReikiStar]

I think they do, but you'll get plenty of people on here saying chickens don't have feelings like humans do. And they are right...they have CHICKEN feelings.

I worry about that when we separate the boys from the girls...right now they're all good buddies, but I guess once the hormones start to really kick in "friendship" might become "easy date".

Just enjoying them while they are young and innocent.

Sorry you're upset about the re-homing -- totally understandable. Give the kids an extra special treat (mealworms maybe) and they'll move on quicker. Food seems to make the chicken heart forget what it was whining about.

 

[Sorin]

I do believe that your chicks know something is missing or wrong, while I don't think chickens can count, they have all been raised together as a group. So I'm sure they realize some are missing. I'm sure after a day or two they will forget about it and move on

 

[sourland]

In a flock situation chickens have companions whose presence they prefer. When these companions are removed, sold, killed they look and call for them.

 

[old geezer]

oh yeah---they have feelings--not like us --but feeling none the less----take a chicken and hold it gentle--- snuggle it-- talk softly to her as you stroke her feathers along her back ,and as you massage her neck gentley--after a few times it comes to know , trust , and maybe even in a chicken way ---loves you---they don't purr for nothing---just my 2 cents

 

[chkinut]

wow, i always thought chickens had feelings....but after reading this site, i'm very happy that i have a lil' policy with myself, that if i have to give ONE chicken away for whatever reason, she goes with a friend. cuz i worry about her being alone in her new home without a familiar friend. i just gave 2 girls away a few days ago cuz one was EXTREMELY loud!!! i had NEVER in all my born days EVER heard a chicken cluck as loud as that girl did! and she hadn't even begun to lay! i could only imagine how her egg song would've sounded. and since i live in town, she had to go. so....i sent her along with a friend (who was kinda loud too). but i actually wanted to keep the other girl cuz she was kinda tame and only KINDA loud. but i sent the 2 ladies along to a new place anyway. i'm glad i read this thread, it makes me feel good for sending the girls together. sweet lil' chickens and their feelings.....

 

[BigBird99]

Just my two cents...we just tonight had a 5 month old Buff Orpington with a prolapse (hope it's spelled right) which we seperated from the rest so they wouldn't pick on her. She has a constant companion with whom they pretty much rule the flock. Her sister was totally beside herself tonight not even knowing just what to do when getting the others to bed. (that was their nightly routine). It was very sad. She was really missing her buddy.

 

[eggsontoast]

Quote:
I've recently experienced this. It even affected their laying habits.

 

[mallorysinclair]

I had to separate an injured chicken recently. Her "sisters" were all very curious about where she was, and one actually flapped/hopped from her own brooder box into the injured chick's box so she could soothe her. They are very protective of the injured one and make sure she's okay.

 

[gggonzalez]

Quote:
Absolutely! We recently got rid of one of our chickens, and for the next 2 days or so, the flock definitely acted differently. A bit depressed and lost without its member. Tell your chickies that they will be fine, and they're former coop mates will be fine too