Is it possible for chickens to get Jealous?

[chickens really]

I disagree. Animals do show "emotion." Or behavior that mirrors emotion, if that sounds better.


Some people love their birds as pets, myself included, and get to know their individual personalities. Personally, I would do as much, within my means, as possible for my birds and cats to keep them happy, healthy, and safe.


But to each his own!

You misunderstood...I love all my animals. I have Horses, Dogs, Ducks and Chickens..I'm Top here with all and they respect me 100%...

 

[Ruralhideaway]

You misunderstood...I love all my animals. I have Horses, Dogs, Ducks and Chickens..I'm Top here with all and they respect me 100%...

Everyone here knows who the alpha is and it's not them. Lifelong horse person, I get respect from animals naturally. But that one bird literally begs when I hold a chick. Normally she doesn't ask to be picked up but when I pick her up she makes a very distinctive sound, almost a baby sound. She now makes that sound when I hold a chick. I rarely hand feed treats so that's not it.

I wouldn't have thought it but she made me reconsider. How else can you connect that noise logically?

 

[AChickenBoi]

I had some new chicks recently, and one of them particularly bonded well with me to the point that I can pick him/her up with little problem. One of my older chickens nips and chases them when they can and is particularly more rough with Levi (the chick). But she’s only like this when I have him/her in my lap and I’m feeding him/her some mealworms.

In my own experience, chickens can indeed get jealous.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I agree with @chickens really. We call it "jealousy," that's our name for the human emotion, but in the animal world it is territorial possessiveness or other resource guarding. For animals it's a necessary survival instinct. Mother animals must be protective of their babies, males must guard their mates and sometimes their territories. Your pet learns that if it whines, dances or exhibits certain other behaviors we will pick it up, give it a treat, cuddle it, or reward it in some other way. We often like it when an animal acts protective or possessive of us. We equate it with love and/or jealousy. It's endearing to us, but it's a survival instinct to the animal. We are the Great Protector. They value that relationship and they don't want to lose it. Sigh. Nobody is going to like that, it's cold and clinical. But animals don't have the same emotions we do in this regard. I'm not saying they don't love us, they do. It's just different.

ETA: Just my opinion, of course.

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

chickens can get jelous they can even feel love and emphathy search it up on google if u dont belive me and i had a jelous bufforpington than gave a jelous stare to one of my speackled susex chicken when i was holding her and they never fight but after she got off that was the frist them they fought

 

[dianforbes1]

Jealousy is the working definition of the pecking order. The older hens do not like sharing you with ducklings. I don't think that they are jealous as much as they are greedy. Some other domesticated animals exhibit jealousy, notably dogs who can be sensitive to other dogs or even humans messing with their food bowls while the pooch is eating and even sometimes when they are not actively eating.

Here's another story: I have 6 hens, mixed variety. My neighbors have adopted their next-door neighbor's rooster- who has become quite attached to Emily, even tho he was raised by my other neighbor- he goes back over to her house every day now and she walks him back to his real coop every night. Of late, this rooster is now attacking her boyfriend while they sit on their back deck! We think he needs some hens of his own maybe but hasn't discovered mine yet- right across the street. What do you think?

 

[dianforbes1]

I agree with @chickens really. We call it "jealousy," that's our name for the human emotion, but in the animal world it is territorial possessiveness or other resource guarding. For animals it's a necessary survival instinct. Mother animals must be protective of their babies, males must guard their mates and sometimes their territories. Your pet learns that if it whines, dances or exhibits certain other behaviors we will pick it up, give it a treat, cuddle it, or reward it in some other way. We often like it when an animal acts protective or possessive of us. We equate it with love and/or jealousy. It's endearing to us, but it's a survival instinct to the animal. We are the Great Protector. They value that relationship and they don't want to lose it. Sigh. Nobody is going to like that, it's cold and clinical. But animals don't have the same emotions we do in this regard. I'm not saying they don't love us, they do. It's just different.

ETA: Just my opinion, of course.

That makes complete sense!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That makes complete sense!

Thanks for the validation!