Do Chickens Mourn ?

[Gigiintheforest]

I always laugh at the "us" and "them" argument. Of course animals have emotion - we are animals and we have emotion. There are not degrees of differentness. Every species talks its own language, thinks its own kinds of thoughts, feels its own kind of feelings and behaves in ways that are unique yet familiar. None are better, none are worse. We strive to understand but often fall into much easier thinking of separateness and categorization. Happens with chickens, happens with people. Just my thoughts and offers of sympathy on the losses of things we love.

 

[Snack Giver]

That first story about lil'bit has had me in tears. Maybe some people don't spend as much time with their birds as others? Its obvious to me who is who's "best friend" in my flock. That was a touching story.

 

[al6517]

I am in the camp that chickens don't mourn and are totaly incapable of such emotions. What we see is the human emotion being thrust upon those animals which really don't care to carry such a burden. Sure if one bird in the flock is lost there is some confussion in the order of things, that's a survival instinct, who moves up and who stay's behind and yippee more food for me, or I didn't like her anyway cause she allways hogged my favorite nest box. Some folks want to believe chickens they have these emotions but what those folks are saying is I want them (chickens) to have the same emotions as I do, and that is just way to out there to be rational, in the animal husbandry reality.

Now with dog's that's different, I seriously believe they do have the ability to feel a loss, and they become dispondant, but not with cat's and farm animals, we want to think they do but the truth is fortunately they do not.

 

[Beekissed]

I'll agree with Al on the chickens...but I've seen some strange behavior from my sheep upon the death of a young heifer they had been raised with~it was definitely distress behavior with loud crying out and agitated climbing of the fence that was just not normal for my sheep. It went on intensely all day ~particularly when they would spy one of the dogs walking along with a calf's leg in their mouths~and into the next day and would recur at any given time in the next several months when they would see another cow across the road that was approx. the same size and color of their former pen mate.

I've never seen any evidence of sadness or distress from my chickens upon the death of a flock mate..even when done right in their presence. They will gladly come up and drink the blood as it pours from the wounded bird's throat. I've had numerous flocks and kill from these flocks on a yearly or more basis and have never witnessed any appearances that the flock was affected in any way by the death of their fellow birds.

I think there are different levels of comprehension associated with the different brain sizes and development of animals. I don't think a worm is going to display or show advanced behaviors that a chicken will and I don't think chickens will display complicated social behaviors like a dog will and a dog won't be as complex as a human because humans have a higher brain level function than do these animals. Some creatures have different capabilities for intelligence and emotion and not for one minute do I believe that any animal on Earth has the capacity to function emotionally, socially or intellectually on the same level of a human.

 

[wbruder17]

Yes, i think they mourn.... and celebrate! When i rehomed a particularly "annoying" roo.... one who incessantly forced them into mating and pulled several head feathers out of several hens..... i could immediately see a sense of relief in my flock. They were calmer and happier.... and began laying more. My hens told me they were happy with the decision to rehome the roo. So, yes, i think they most certainly feel emotions. Love, loss, relief. They are much more complex than most people give them credit for.

 

[wbruder17]

I also think the level of emotion is based on the upbringing. My hens are very pampered and loved on.... sso they are used to a certain level of affection. I think it is something that is cultivated. Chickens that are never handled or loved on, are probably less effected by loss. Those that are raised with love, as pets, have more of an understanding, IMO. I have several hens that are much more affectionate and sensitive than i see in others.

 

[Time-Out]

Stress is an emotional state, right? Chickens get stressed, you can't deny that. So why couldn't they feel another type of emotion?

I haven't lost a chicken (yet), so I've never observed mourning in them, but I've observed excitement (get a bag of treats out), contentment (when the sun comes out and warms the soil), worry (where did everyone go?), panic, stress, pain, fear, playfulness... These are all things chickens feel and act upon.

If you have never seen a horse pace up and down a fence for week, calling for it's weaned foal, refusing to eat, or heard the mournful cry of a cow separated from its calf, or even seen a fish (yes, a fish) perish from depression, then it may be hard to believe. But for those that live it, it is very real.

I know a lot of people don't think much of vets, but they have undergone years of study, of which animal behaviour. Ask your vet what he/she thinks. Or buy a book on degus... a small rodent from South America. It is recommended to keep more than one degu, because otherwise they can get depressed and let themselves die.

All of that to say: yes, I believe chickens can mourn. If a fish can, then why couldn't a chicken?!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Interesting topic and view points, all I know is what I've seen and experienced. I'm not a particularly emotional person and i can remain very objective on a level that could be considered cruel I suppose. I do remember raising chickens while growing up, and didn't think they had much going on upstairs, now I 'see' them differently. They look me in the eye, what does that? They coo to their young they growl at intruders, they get all quiet and observant when the pesky roosters are beheaded, they cheer when i drag the beagle out of the coop by the scruff of his neck. Is that instnctual response or emotional. I don't know, but if you want to ridicule me go ahead, I just think you may be protesting too much. I know my chickens love me and what anyone says isn,t going to change what I know, by the way, people in comas really can hear you.

 

[jobailey25]

I gave away three chickens the other day. After the chickens left for there new home the coop was quiet and still for at least 24hrs afterward. I kept checking on them to see if they were adjusting OK. Gave them treats and they where OK next day.

It's been a week and one of the chickens I gave away died suddenly. I don't know why but she seamed fine was laying eggs with no problems. Now I've been told the other two chickens have not laid since she died. I'm sure there's an adjustment period but to go from laying to not laying anymore and there life time friend died suddenly. I'm positive there something to it..
My answer is Yes They mourn!

 

[Steemroo]

They have emotions, but it's unlikely that they mourn. What's really going on is that we project our emptions onto them.. Once you understand this, it will all start to make more sense.

Chicken dies - the rest are quiet and "different" for 3 days? Mourning? I would say that's a projection. Likely they're just adjusting to change - perhaps in the pecking order.. Something chicken-ish and possibly hard for us to grasp.

Remember, their brains are - what? Not even as big as a peanut?.

I don't want to be a wet rag here. If you want to believe they mourn, go ahead. It probably won't hurt you. But if you want truth, start trying to think like a bird - without placing human values and priorities onto them.

If you're interested', look up "the associative fallacy.". It seems to me we humans are suckers for it, and this is part of our tendency to place our emotional responses - usually wrongly - onto other species.