Do Chickens want to be held as They Near Death?

[seminolewind]

This is an interesting question. One to which I do not have an answer.

I have a short story to relay, though. When my goose was badly injured in a coyote attack, she ran directly towards me to escape the coyote and then directly in the front door to my house. She had honestly never had much to do with me. She tolerated my presence barely, and hissed at me when I got too close to her most of the times. We put up with each other for years, but almost never interacted in a positive way. When she was injured and in danger, though, she ran directly to me, into my house which she had never entered before, and allowed me to fuss over her, handle her, and try to help her. She survived the incident, and I would like to be able to say that we now have a wonderful relationship, but we don't. She went back to barely tolerating me, and still yells and hisses at me at every opportunity (although she no longer tries to tear me apart when I have to handle her). I like to think that when she was in pain, scared and in danger, she turned to me for help.

I don't know if this is at all helpful, but it just illustrates that birds do feel emotion on a certain level. They may not show it outright, all the time, but it is clearly present.

Sounds kindof like a teenager, LOL

Yes it's kind of an odd relationship. My Polish tend to jump on me to escape the rooster. But your goose shows quite an extreme, I've not had that. And I do think they have emotion. But in a chicken way.

 

[JeanR]

Chickens are a "prey" creature. As such, it is inbred, that they can accept their capture and death without the kind of fear of death, that we can expect, ourselves. However, we interfere with this instinct, as they become our friend-pets. No reason not to believe that holding them at their near time of departure, is not comforting. And if it helps us, too, WHY NOT hold them--warmth and kindness can be "absorbed"! Makes no difference if some would call it a "useless" gesture! Always sorry for the loss of a dear bird, yours or mine!