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

[LindsayDarling]

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.

You are so right about that! He was the perfect roo and I know what that looks like now Thank you for your kind words and sharing about ur special boy too

 

[LindsayDarling]

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.

Oh my goodness! I really think they know too. I am worried about one hen in particular

 

[The Chick Addict]

He was a gorgeous rooster, and it seems like he meant a lot to you, I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[SkyAJK]

It is heart broken experience to lose your feather kid. Having chickens is experiencing so much love and joy,but then the painful heart break when they pass away.Their life span is so short and it is still painful each time it happens.

All we could do is to enjoy the little time that we have with them, and when they go, we have that good memory and the love that gave us.

 

[LindsayDarling]

It is heart broken experience to lose your feather kid. Having chickens is experiencing so much love and joy,but then the painful heart break when they pass away.Their life span is so short and it is still painful each time it happens.

All we could do is to enjoy the little time that we have with them, and when they go, we have that good memory and the love that gave us.

Words.of wisdom! Thank you

 

[LindsayDarling]

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.

Wow what experiences! Thats a good idea, maybe I will incubate some eggs of his.

 

[SamLockwood]

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!

They don't really have thought processes like humans do. At best they'll just be confused about you showing them a dead rooster, at worst they'll think you killed him and be wary of you from that point on.

 

[SubjectFerret]

I'm sorry about ur Rooster. I'm sure this is going to b too late to help. I disagree with not allowing ur hens to c his body and know he's dead and not coming back. Or worse thinking he's lost. It's hard to say exactly what chickens think. I know this much I've been a veterinary technician for large animal, emergency medicine, small animal, exotics, reptiles, and birds and an animal enthusiast my while life. I know animals feel sad at the loss of one of their own. I've seen them going around searching for lost ones. And being able to have closure from losing a pack member or flock member, or even a human member by seeing them dead seems to have a comforting effect on them. Just my opinion.

 

[Critter88]

Losing any pet is always heartbreaking, especially the way free range chickens are taken so quickly by predators. I myself have shown my other chickens and my dogs the chickens I’ve lost, or any other pet for that matter. Don’t know if they realize it or not, (I know the dogs do, they know the chickens by name). In my heart I firmly believe they may know more than we think.

 

[Wilhelm625]

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 fell 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.

You had a beautiful rooster! He will be missed.
I agree with Royal Chick, Most of my losses have been in the coop or run as well. Never saw any cannibalism. Have seen them trying to bury the dead with bedding.