Do chickens miss those who have died?

[Jay262]

Im not so sure as the rest of you that they actually miss another one when its gone since at first sign of blood chickens will maul each other to death. As much as some of us love our birds there actions arent based on emotions just instinct.

 

[begbfg]

One of my roosters attacked me the day I removed a hen that mysteriously died out of the coop. I thought maybe he was mad at me for taking her away. Anyway, he became dinner for a friend of mine last week.

 

[chookhead]

yes they do especially when they see the body

 

[harveyhorses]

Apparently I have a callous bunch. I lost one, to what I do not know, I am thinking something genetic, she never really got over her moult. I am starting to think she might have been an egg eater. From 4 hens since I separated them, I have gotten three eggs 4 times in a week. I was lucky before that if I was getting one every other day.
But the others really do not seem to mind her being gone a bit.

 

[bobbieschicks]

I'm so sorry for your loss - we just lost our beautiful 22 week old EE Bandit on Saturday - found her sitting dead under the coop. No apparent reason for her death. The other chicks didn't seem phased by it. I did notice her hatchmates cling a little more to the rooster since she's gone. Otherwise they seem unmoved - which makes me mad because I miss her and her green eggs she had just started laying. We lost a 10 week old Silkie at Christmas time and no one seemed to miss him/her either - other then me!

But interestingly when my flock consisted of just 5 White Leghorns (4 rooster and 1 pullet) and 3 younger mixed breeds of pullets, when I gave away 3 of the roosters the rest of the flock seemed out of sorts for awhile. The WLs wouldn't come near me for a long time. Their instincts told them I sent their hatchmates away. I don't think they missed them so much as they were concerned if they were going away too.

 

[seminolewind]

They do. I felt so sorry for my silkie roo. 2 hens were separated to brood some chicks about 20 feet away and he did nothing but stand at the fence where he could see them. Then out of 8, I rehomed 4, months later, and he went back to standing at the fence looking for them. I felt so bad for him.

 

[Jay262]

Your chickens do not feel sad as much as you think they might those feelings are what you are feeling and there behavior in your opnion relates to the removal of other birds. It really doesnt chickens eat each other on a whim if blood is drawn they are creatures of instinct. I know alot of you who have them as pets like to think differently but that really isnt how it is. Not to be a jerk about it its not my intention but thinking birds feel like this is just hurting yourself and them when it comes to lets say having to cull one for the best of the flock due to sickness.

 

[Idahomestead]

Thanks Jay. Much as I love them, I don't like to anthropomorphize my animals. I think the hens were more curious than anything. I just miss her antics and wish we could have caught the problem before it killed her.

 

[Idahomestead]

Thank you.

 

[humpbacks1962]

Mine were about 3 months old when they lost a "brother".
They did make note of the fact that all of a sudden, he was not moving. They stared, and stared at him until I found him and disposed of him.