How long will mourning last?

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I had to put down my hen around a month ago, she was my partridge silkie who has been inside on multiple occasions for days on end for recovery. But lately my rooster has been acting super depressed, as far as I can see he still eats and drinks and is still crowing every morning but not half as much as usual… it’s been going on for quite awhile, could it be he just doesn’t like winter? I’ve moved them to the barn when it’s warm enough but he still seems very unwilling to dust bathe and scratch around or walk that much. How much longer will this last? He doesn’t show any signs on illness, I think he might’ve realized Reaper isn’t going to come back out.

 

[StinkyAcres]

How many chickens do you have?

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

How many chickens do you have?

Currently I have 14, one rooster 13 hens. Reaper and Kia (the hen and the rooster) were hatch mates though, the only hatch mate he had there seeing as Yeti was from a younger hatch

 

[StinkyAcres]

Currently I have 14, one rooster 13 hens. Reaper and Kia (the hen and the rooster) were hatch mates though, the only hatch mate he had there seeing as Yeti was from a younger hatch

Got it. Just making sure he's not alone. Sorry to hear about your hen.
Could your rooster be starting to molt?

 

[Isadora]

Since it's been a month since your hen passed, I doubt he's mourning. It's not as if he doesn't have company. I would be concerned he's not feeling well.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Got it. Just making sure he's not alone. Sorry to hear about your hen.
Could your rooster be starting to molt?

Thank you but it’s alright she has health issues for quite awhile she just couldn’t pull through this one.
Do silkies molt? I guess it would make sense for that but it’s been a couple weeks and he hasn’t started it’s also been cold so that would be VERY inconvenient timing, he’s also still under a year old

 

[nuthatched]

I don't think he's mourning, I think he's not feeling good well. Possibly molting like Isador said.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I don't think he's mourning, I think he's not feeling good well. Possibly molting like Isador said.

Would he in an Alaskan winter? Even if he’s in the coop? He isn’t even a year old yet

 

[lv9777]

Although you want to be careful not to ascribe human emotions to animals as if they were human. Animals do have some ability to grieve and be sad. When my hen lost her hatch mate, it was a good 2 months before she was herself again.

And my cat pulled her hair out when my son went to college. Refused to go into his bedroom and took a year to adjust (with a little help from prozac).

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Although you want to be careful not to ascribe human emotions to animals as if they were human. Animals do have some ability to grieve and be sad. When my hen lost her hatch mate, it was a good 2 months before she was herself again.

And my cat pulled her hair out when my son went to college. Refused to go into his bedroom and took a year to adjust (with a little help from prozac).

Yeah I understand how chickens can’t feel the same emotions but based off of how close they were the only way to describe how he’s acting is grieving… so he should get better soon then? That’s good to hear. I hate seeing him so sad and dirty