love-struck pullet depressed?

[chickadee mamma]

A few weeks ago we purchased two pullets from a farm. They were BEST FRIENDS! always together, eat, sleep, scratching.......then turns out one is a rooster. We can't keep him in our neighborhood so my Mom is taking him. Our little hen doesn't function without him. if they are separated she searches for him so she can be right by him. What I'm wondering is do chickens get depressed? Will she actually miss him? If yes, Will she get over it fast?

 

[Whittni]

All chickens mourn the loss of their friends, just like people. I bet she'd enjoy going to stay with your mom too but if she makes other chicken friends she should be okay.

 

[Araucana16]

You need to get another friend for that chick. She must be lonely as could be, chickens are flock animals, it's not healthy for her to be alone.

Try to get two, actually, so that if something like this happens again, or one dies, you aren't back where you started.

 

[BarredRockMom]

I'm sad for your little hen and her rooster friend,. If she's missing him, he's probably missing her, too. How would your Mom feel about a pair? Or does she already have other chickens? Any chance that one of your other girls will bond with her? Perhaps she'll just need some extra special time with you to help her thru until she makes new friends?

All chickens mourn the loss of their friends, just like people. I bet she'd enjoy going to stay with your mom too but if she makes other chicken friends she should be okay.

The night we lost our first hen, we told the girls what had happened but her friend just paced around the fenced chicken yard calling & calling her. It was so sad. The night we lost our 2nd hen, her "twin" was very upset, climbed on my lap & would not leave for hours. The only thing that made her feel better was being petted & talking to her about her "twin". Even now, if we mention their names, the others stop & look at us like "ok, where'd ya hide them?"

You need to get another friend for that chick. She must be lonely as could be, chickens are flock animals, it's not healthy for her to be alone.

Try to get two, actually, so that if something like this happens again, or one dies, you aren't back where you started.

We just got another 3 to round out our flock & I'm glad that we did, as one passed away very quickly. Had we gotten only one new baby, it would've been even more difficult to get everyone to bond & she'd have had no companion to hang around & snuggle next to on the roost.

Best of luck & I hope they either make new friends and rebound soon or get reunited.

 

[chickadee mamma]

Sorry, totally forgot to mention we have two younger chicks who she gets along fine with and her own mother. But she LOVED that rooster! My Mom and I agreed if she wasn't doing well, we'd move he up by him.

 

[chickadee mamma]

It was pretty sad putting everyone to bed tonight. I had to go out and lead them through their routine of goingup on the roost for a while then into the coop for the night. Ginger kept peeking her head out the door looking for him. Never thought I'd want to cry over a hen and rooster!

 

[Araucana16]

If she has other friends, hopefully she'll get over it

But that's so sad

Poor gal must be heartbroken!