Does a chicken get depress if her buddy dies?

[Gamecock]

I had two eastereggers that grew up togetherand they were almost 1 year old. Boo the white one passed away one morning last week,I don't know why but Dixie stayed inside the coop for days, only coming out once. Also she hasn't layed an egg since Boo died. They were close buddies. Is this normal behavor? I'm worried about her. We have other chickens but she won't follow them out.

 

[Queen Scoot]

its normal when Pebbles died her friend cloud mourned her and wouldnt lay an egg for 3 months. they grew up together and we the best of chicken buds!

 

[KazAnder Farms]

Very typical. we had our flock Chief, American, aptly named captain pass three weeks ago, His 7 ladies haven't been producing since then. we've had a similar effect when we loose a member of a group that have been together for a long time. of course it's sad for everyone.

 

[crtrlovr]

Animals form emotional attachments and they do grieve at loss, just as we do. I have seen a cat cry actual, literal tears while standing beside the body of her buddy. They can go into depression and go into an anorexic state and refuse to eat. Grief is grief, regardless of your species.

 

[oesdog]

Yes they do !!!!!!!!!

When I rehomed my Roosters I tried to keep them in pairs especially Blue and Omlet cause they go everywhere together and are really close.
I managed to get homes together for them. And for Red and Duck the other two. Since then though Mable has been really upset because she was close to her brothers.
Betty the other sister goes off on her own for hours just wandering about. She doesn;t interact at all with the group. Mable thankfully has made friends with a new girl Florance, that helps but she still goes and sits with her mum and looks depressed and miserable for hours at a time. They sit up on top of the coop like they are looking for the boys. So yes I do think when they get seperated either by death or other it is trumatic for them and it takes a while to get over it. We think so often they are just bird brained chickens but they do have feelings and I think that means also they are capable of mouning too. She will get better just keep loving on her lots.

Oesdog

 

[sourland]

Chickens miss their buddies. If her pal died of some infectious agent, I's be worried that dixie might also be ill.

 

[Gamecock]

There is nothing wrong with her appitite, she eats well from my hand. She seems to becoming attached to my bantam gamecock. He is half her size.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
What crtlovr said>^^^^^

 

[catdaddy66]

Sorry for your loss, Gamecock. Do you have any other birds or were the EE's the only ones? Is the surviving hen an 'only child' now? Chickens are flock birds and need social structure, so more company couldn't hurt her, and may help her thru her grieving.

By the way, GO Gamecocks!!

 

[buck-wild-chick]

I had two roosters that were brothers and when one died the other died shortly after.
The chicken looked to have mourned and ate himself to death. He died very sad and fat.