Do chickens mourn the death of their coop mates?

[MeeMawsChicks]

My poor little “special needs” Polish chicken Squiggy died a week ago. She shared an “apartment” in the coop with her “sisters” Lenny a Polish chicken and Elvis the Brahma. The other 7 chickens livein a separate apartment. Squiggy always was a bit frail, especially last summer when she had two episodes of what I call heat exhaustion. None of the other chickens had any issues like her. She did fine in the cold weather. I babied her quite a bit more than the others.
Last week, I had to stay at my mom’s house for four days due to a family emergency. My husband took wonderful care of my chickens but on the last day, he called me and said that he found Squiggy sitting on her nest not moving. She was dead. She had been fine that morning and laid an egg. She hadn’t been grooming her head feathers the way she should for a few weeks. I had to clean them for her. I came home that evening.
ANYWAY…. We cleaned out their part of the coop and replaced the straw so they wouldn’t smell her, just in case it bothered them. Lenny looked for her and acted a bit nervous until the next day. Elvis the Brahma went into mourning and wouldn’t eat or drink. She would lay in the corner of the run with her little head on the fencing looking over in the direction where Squiggy is buried. I would stand her up and she would walk over to her water and just stand there. She always talks but for two days she would open her beak and no sound came out. I began spoon feeding her electrolyte water and she drank it as long as I gave it to her then go back to her corner and mourn some more. She refused everything I know she likes to eat, until the third day, I held out earth worms and she came over and ate three. I was so relieved!! She is back to her regular behavior and talking again but has not laid one egg since Squiggy died. One other of my chickens, Cow the Easter Egger hasn’t laid an egg since then either.
What can I do to get them to lay their eggs again? Any ideas?

Squiggy, Lenny and Elvis
Squiggy and Elvis

Cow

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have noticed behavioral changes in chickens after a flock mate dies. Some, if they were close companions to the deceased, can miss the member. I've seen what appears to be depression when a chicken loses their favorite companion. Hard to say if it's emotional or not. Could just be from a break in normal behavioral routine, and now they don't know how to proceed.

The second thing you will sometimes see, is the flock can become more quiet, and appear frightened when a chicken dies or disappears from a flock. More than likely they think that a predator must be about, so they become more quiet as to not draw attention to the flock. They can become more reactive as well. Overreacting to things they might not have before.

Only the chickens know if they feel emotional attachments. It appears like some do to some degree in my observations, and others don't seem bothered by the loss of flock members.

Egg production often stops when birds are under stress. Even though we've altered chickens, and the purpose of egg production, they still lay eggs for reproduction. So stopping egg production makes sense when there is something amiss, or birds are under stress. It often resumes once they feel more comfortable.

Also when a flock member is gone the flock will sometimes have to reestablish the pecking order, so that can cause some stress as well.

So give your chickens time to get used to the new situation, and flock dynamics. Egg production should resume in a few weeks.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[MeeMawsChicks]

I have noticed behavioral changes in chickens after a flock mate dies. Some, if they were close companions to the deceased, can miss the member. I've seen what appears to be depression when a chicken loses their favorite companion. Hard to say if it's emotional or not. Could just be from a break in normal behavioral routine, and now they don't know how to proceed.

The second thing you will sometimes see, is the flock can become more quiet, and appear frightened when a chicken dies or disappears from a flock. More than likely they think that a predator must be about, so they become more quiet as to not draw attention to the flock. They can become more reactive as well. Overreacting to things they might not have before.

Only the chickens know if they feel emotional attachments. It appears like some do to some degree in my observations, and others don't seem bothered by the loss of flock members.

Egg production often stops when birds are under stress. Even though we've altered chickens, and the purpose of egg production, they still lay eggs for reproduction. So stopping egg production makes sense when there is something amiss, or birds are under stress. It often resumes once they feel more comfortable.

Also when a flock member is gone the flock will sometimes have to reestablish the pecking order, so that can cause some stress as well.

So give your chickens time to get used to the new situation, and flock dynamics. Egg production should resume in a few weeks.

Sorry for your loss.

Thank you so much! That is reassuring.

 

[janiedoe]

I have noticed behavioral changes in chickens after a flock mate dies. Some, if they were close companions to the deceased, can miss the member. I've seen what appears to be depression when a chicken loses their favorite companion. Hard to say if it's emotional or not. Could just be from a break in normal behavioral routine, and now they don't know how to proceed.

The second thing you will sometimes see, is the flock can become more quiet, and appear frightened when a chicken dies or disappears from a flock. More than likely they think that a predator must be about, so they become more quiet as to not draw attention to the flock. They can become more reactive as well. Overreacting to things they might not have before.

Only the chickens know if they feel emotional attachments. It appears like some do to some degree in my observations, and others don't seem bothered by the loss of flock members.

Egg production often stops when birds are under stress. Even though we've altered chickens, and the purpose of egg production, they still lay eggs for reproduction. So stopping egg production makes sense when there is something amiss, or birds are under stress. It often resumes once they feel more comfortable.

Also when a flock member is gone the flock will sometimes have to reestablish the pecking order, so that can cause some stress as well.

So give your chickens time to get used to the new situation, and flock dynamics. Egg production should resume in a few weeks.

Sorry for your loss.

That was so thoughtful and nicely written.

 

[janiedoe]

My poor little “special needs” Polish chicken Squiggy died a week ago. She shared an “apartment” in the coop with her “sisters” Lenny a Polish chicken and Elvis the Brahma. The other 7 chickens livein a separate apartment. Squiggy always was a bit frail, especially last summer when she had two episodes of what I call heat exhaustion. None of the other chickens had any issues like her. She did fine in the cold weather. I babied her quite a bit more than the others.
Last week, I had to stay at my mom’s house for four days due to a family emergency. My husband took wonderful care of my chickens but on the last day, he called me and said that he found Squiggy sitting on her nest not moving. She was dead. She had been fine that morning and laid an egg. She hadn’t been grooming her head feathers the way she should for a few weeks. I had to clean them for her. I came home that evening.
ANYWAY…. We cleaned out their part of the coop and replaced the straw so they wouldn’t smell her, just in case it bothered them. Lenny looked for her and acted a bit nervous until the next day. Elvis the Brahma went into mourning and wouldn’t eat or drink. She would lay in the corner of the run with her little head on the fencing looking over in the direction where Squiggy is buried. I would stand her up and she would walk over to her water and just stand there. She always talks but for two days she would open her beak and no sound came out. I began spoon feeding her electrolyte water and she drank it as long as I gave it to her then go back to her corner and mourn some more. She refused everything I know she likes to eat, until the third day, I held out earth worms and she came over and ate three. I was so relieved!! She is back to her regular behavior and talking again but has not laid one egg since Squiggy died. One other of my chickens, Cow the Easter Egger hasn’t laid an egg since then either.
What can I do to get them to lay their eggs again? Any ideas?

Squiggy, Lenny and Elvis
Squiggy and Elvis View attachment 3172118CowView attachment 3172130View attachment 3172137

I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[MeeMawsChicks]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

Thank you so much! Not everyone understands how a person can get attached to a chicken.

 

[leah vanity]

My poor little “special needs” Polish chicken Squiggy died a week ago. She shared an “apartment” in the coop with her “sisters” Lenny a Polish chicken and Elvis the Brahma. The other 7 chickens livein a separate apartment. Squiggy always was a bit frail, especially last summer when she had two episodes of what I call heat exhaustion. None of the other chickens had any issues like her. She did fine in the cold weather. I babied her quite a bit more than the others.
Last week, I had to stay at my mom’s house for four days due to a family emergency. My husband took wonderful care of my chickens but on the last day, he called me and said that he found Squiggy sitting on her nest not moving. She was dead. She had been fine that morning and laid an egg. She hadn’t been grooming her head feathers the way she should for a few weeks. I had to clean them for her. I came home that evening.
ANYWAY…. We cleaned out their part of the coop and replaced the straw so they wouldn’t smell her, just in case it bothered them. Lenny looked for her and acted a bit nervous until the next day. Elvis the Brahma went into mourning and wouldn’t eat or drink. She would lay in the corner of the run with her little head on the fencing looking over in the direction where Squiggy is buried. I would stand her up and she would walk over to her water and just stand there. She always talks but for two days she would open her beak and no sound came out. I began spoon feeding her electrolyte water and she drank it as long as I gave it to her then go back to her corner and mourn some more. She refused everything I know she likes to eat, until the third day, I held out earth worms and she came over and ate three. I was so relieved!! She is back to her regular behavior and talking again but has not laid one egg since Squiggy died. One other of my chickens, Cow the Easter Egger hasn’t laid an egg since then either.
What can I do to get them to lay their eggs again? Any ideas?

Squiggy, Lenny and Elvis
Squiggy and Elvis View attachment 3172118CowView attachment 3172130View attachment 3172137

I think animals sense those things. Very sweet and so sorry. Loss of any kind can be difficult. Give those little ladies some extra loving

 

[Zoohtasim]

That was so thoughtful and nicely written.

I have to agree! I bookmarked it.

 

[janiedoe]

Thank you so much! Not everyone understands how a person can get attached to a chicken.

I know. My husband can't understand how I can be attached to 3 dozen (+/-) of them.

 

[Zoohtasim]

Thank you so much! Not everyone understands how a person can get attached to a chicken.

It's extremely messed up that people think of chickens as just a thing you keep for eggs and meat and not as pets. I would physically not function if any of my 3 chickens died and some people never try to understand that chickens are animals too with feelings! So sorry for your loss, fly high squiggy!