My roo died , should I let his girls see his body so they know?

[LindsayDarling]

Very sorry for your loss! He loved you and you loved him! He was a beautiful boy! Give your hens an extra hug!

Thank you

 

[LindsayDarling]

So sorry that you lost him. I will be a dissenting voice. I have never had an issue with cannibalism and most of my chickens who have died have been seen by the flock so they understand.
Now it is a bit different because mainly they have died in the coop and the hens seem to know and have often done a sort of 'last visit' kind of thing.
I recently lost my top hen in the middle of the night. She just feel off the roost dead. Everyone came and inspected the body before getting on with their day. Then I removed her.
I don't think we can really know what chickens think and feel so do what feels natural to you.

Thank you for sharing that, appreciate it

 

[SmiYa0126]

Any hens close to the rooster will be affected and will mourn. I'm not sure if it helps them see him as they don't understand death, but expect some of them to mourn. There may also be pecking order fights.

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

So sorry that you lost him. I will be a dissenting voice. I have never had an issue with cannibalism and most of my chickens who have died have been seen by the flock so they understand.
Now it is a bit different because mainly they have died in the coop and the hens seem to know and have often done a sort of 'last visit' kind of thing.
I recently lost my top hen in the middle of the night. She just feel off the roost dead. Everyone came and inspected the body before getting on with their day. Then I removed her.
I don't think we can really know what chickens think and feel so do what feels natural to you.

Yes, my chickens do something very similar. They come and spend a few moments with the dead flock member before moving on with their day. I don't think it's necessary to show the flock your beautiful boy again but I wouldn't be personally opposed to letting them see him.

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

I'm so sorry for your loss

I should add: when my hen, aspen, died, all of my chickens surrounded me (i was holding her) and just sat down. They were free-ranging and don’t usually do that. They seem fine now, although they are spending a lot more time preening each other and sitting with each other. If you want to, i think you should show them his body, but if you don't its fine.
Sorry for your loss

 

[LindsayDarling]

I should add: when my hen, aspen, died, all of my chickens surrounded me (i was holding her) and just sat down. They were free-ranging and don’t usually do that. They seem fine now, although they are spending a lot more time preening each other and sitting with each other. If you want to, i think you should show them his body, but if you don't its fine.
Sorry for your loss

Gosh that is so touching! We just buried him. If the flock were out I wldve let them come see, but they weren't around so we said our last goodbyes. It feels so sad and empty without him. Maybe I'm not built for this

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Gosh that is so touching! We just buried him. If the flock were out I wldve let them come see, but they weren't around so we said our last goodbyes. It feels so sad and empty without him. Maybe I'm not built for this

It's hard, Lindsay. I was devastated when I found Elvis, my first rooster, dead one morning. He was just a big, beautiful black boy that I learned later was a Black Jersey Giant (he'd been given to us). He crowed pretty much around the clock and I loved that about him. His hens loved him. Even now, years later, I still miss him. But I now have another wonderful rooster named Rojo el Magnifico that I also love, and his hens love him too, although he's not the mighty singer my Elvis was!. (I've had some not so great ones in between.) The thing is, a great rooster sets the standard and teaches you what you can expect going forward. Every subsequent rooster will walk in his shadow. You were blessed to have had him, and he will continue to bless you and your flocks going forward. It's true what they say, that they leave footprints on our hearts. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

aw, that sucks
he was a pretty boy. I agree with what other people have said, and if they see the rooster and decide to eat him, they might then develop a thirst for blood and start cannibalizing live birds, especially if you house broiler birds like Cornish Cross.I know from my first flock. Americauna hen died of old age, was eaten by RIR, who then began attacking meat birds and drinking their blood from the open wounds.
another time, I had a quail who was in solitary confinement for aggression. he was right next to a quail with a large injury, who ended up dead due to said injury. they were separated by a log. I moved the makeshift wall log to take out the dead quail, and the rooster quail took the opportunity to mate with her corpse. needless to say, I no longer raise quail.

I will also say that if he was the only rooster, hens can be fertile for up to a month after breeding. hypothetically, you could incubate eggs and continue the bloodline with his son.

 

[The Birb King]

Sounds like he was a really good rooster! The hens should be fine, but they might miss him for a bit until they realize he's gone for good. Chickens definitely do grieve, they just don't always show it

 

[SkyAJK]

This is prob a weird question. My roo got frostbite, then got into a bad scuffle defending his girls. He lost alot of blood. I did all I could do to save him, but he died this am in my room Should I show his girls his body so they know? Is that worst than him just disappearing? I've gone through alot of loss myself and am sensitive to grief even with animals. I'm going to bury him on my property. RIP Theo!

I am very sorry for your loss.
Please let his flock see him for the last time, they know and watch their reaction.
I put any of my passed away chicken on a towel and in the middle of the run, one after another came looking at the passed away, 1 hen run off screaming, most standing looking at the passed away friend, 1 peck at the body, scratch it as if saying wake up. After a little while, they all walk way, and some did come back to look again. I stood there watching and let them say their final goodbye. My flock was quiet for a day, after that all was back to normal again, except for 1 hen, she was just very quiet for a long time.
So please do let your flock say goodbye, they know.