Rooster showing compassion?

[cindy99]

Beth,

My Henry & Snowflake are always together. He stays with her while she lays her egg and spends all day feeding her. He makes sure that she has the nicest spot at night and doesn't let any of the other girls near her. His sole purpose in life is to take care of her.

Here he is gently eating the yogurt off of her face.

**** If you click on uploads up in the blue bar - your photo's should be there. Then you just copy and past the img link

good luck!

 

[sourland]

Compassion is a human trait- not a trait of poultry. That being said many birds or animals will have a "best friend" that they choose to spend most of their time with. My guess is that she was his particular friend.

 

[ellieroo]

sourland ....... We disagree on that one.i'm old and over the decades have seen compassion in the animal world many times!

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

I don't think chickens are as stupid as people say they are. They, like all other living things, do have their intuitions. Sometimes they just catch onto things and adapt or...adopt.

Or, they seem as though they've been on board with the situation all along.

That said, I have a Silkie roo who, every evening, sleeps by the window looking out it and just watching while his hen and the two pullets sleep in a pile. Every evening, he sticks to this ritual and will stand up for gosh know's how long just staring outside. I've passed the coop multiple times to lock them all up and it still scares the you-know-what outta me when I don't expect it and see this thing just looking at me.

But he has the best intentions. Every time I handle the girls or go to visit, he's the first to greet me, and when I'm physically interacting with them, he'll let me know he's watching.

 

[lazyoranch]

One of my Mottled Java pullets laid her very first egg today. And it was in a nestbox!! I am very proud of her for that! Anyway, my OEB rooster stood by the box and watched and sang as she laid the egg. It almost sounded as if he was a Lamaze coach telling her to breath! He had a rhythm going and everything! It was very funny.

 

[sourland]

Never said compassion is unknown in the animal world. Dinosaurs, feathered or not, do not show compassion, and I bet that I'm older than you, Ellieroo.