Stress and Depression?

[fatimastic]

Lorpi is nearly 2 years old.
She lost her best buddy Astro today. I showed her her dead body and she seemed to look at it and move around it for a minute or two. After that she went into her coop and stayed there, with her feathers fluffed up.
I'm worried she may get under a lot of stress and also die of a heart attack like her best friend Astro.
2-3 weeks ago, her comb started getting flat and going down. She is getting overmated by the rooster a lot. She has already been showing signs of stress recently. I'm worried after Astro's death she might get worse...

 

[samanthaoverton]

You need to separate the rooster. If you cannot then get a chicken saddle.

 

[nuthatched]

Rehome the rooster if he's killing your hens.

 

[fatimastic]

You need to separate the rooster. If you cannot then get a chicken saddle.

Rehome the rooster if he's killing your hens.

What if we bring more hens since there are only 4 of them left now? We started out with 9...

 

[samanthaoverton]

That would probably help. Roosters need more than four hens. Shoot for 8 at least. Roosters get busy with hens multiple times a day.

 

[Battlepants]

I saw your previous thread about Astro, sorry for your loss.

Yea, I would outright remove this rooster due to the overmating. Some roosters can handle themselves and not injure the girls, some are overzealous and the hens pay the price.

If you want to try a middle ground, at least set your rooster up in a separate pen for a week so everyone can heal. See how your hens do without him for a bit.

 

[fatimastic]

I saw your previous thread about Astro, sorry for your loss.

Yea, I would outright remove this rooster due to the overmating. Some roosters can handle themselves and not injure the girls, some are overzealous and the hens pay the price.

If you want to try a middle ground, at least set your rooster up in a separate pen for a week so everyone can heal. See how your hens do without him for a bit.

I will let my hens handle themselves for a week and separate the roo for a week. Thank you for your kind words. Staying strong is currently really hard for me since I lost my 3 dearest hens in 3 months, that too during my exams...

That would probably help. Roosters need more than four hens. Shoot for 8 at least. Roosters get busy with hens multiple times a day.

And we might bring in more hens because 4 are just not enough... I want my coop to be lively again...

Rehome the rooster if he's killing your hens.

Thank you all for your help!

 

[Buckingham Palace]

I’m so,so sorry. I hope she gets better soon.

 

[fatimastic]

I’m so,so sorry. I hope she gets better soon.

I hope so as well... I don't want her to follow her friend's footsteps since she doesn't have any reproductive issues yet.
May she live a long healthy life.

 

[Buckingham Palace]

I hope so as well... I don't want her to follow her friend's footsteps since she doesn't have any reproductive issues yet.
May she live a long healthy life.

Sending as may good wishes as I can your way.