Polish hen mourning loss of flock mate?

[Tanner123]

Quick back story,
We have a mixed flock of 12 hens about 9 months old, 3 of which were polish. One polish passed from MG at about 4 months old. The 2nd passed just two weeks ago from complications of coccidia. The rest of the flock wasnt showing signs of coccidia but we treated them anyway.

About 7-10 ago the last polish started acting different. She hasn't laid a egg in 5 days, spends a lot of time in the egg box, even sleeps in the egg box, she chirps a lot more when we let them out to free range, but doesnt do the polish screech she use to, or a egg song, and she seems a lot more skittish. She is eating and drinking, her poops are small, but seem normal otherwise. When she is out of the egg box she does not seem lethargic or show signs of sickness that we see.

We have read different things about chickens mourning the loss of a flock mate. Could this be her way of mourning?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I don’t know if it’s mourning necessarily although I’m sure that is a thing that happens with chickens. What comes to my mind is the disruption in pecking order that can happen with a death. Where was the other Polish in the pecking order? If she is the only one of her breed in with a bunch of non-Polish breeds it could simply be that she has lost her safety net. Have you seen any other birds picking on her?

 

[Tanner123]

I don’t know if it’s mourning necessarily although I’m sure that is a thing that happens with chickens. What comes to my mind is the disruption in pecking order that can happen with a death. Where was the other Polish in the pecking order? If she is the only one of her breed in with a bunch of non-Polish breeds it could simply be that she has lost her safety net. Have you seen any other birds picking on her?

The two polish we had were near the top of the pecking order. The one that passed two weeks ago was in the top 3-5 and the polish that remains was probably #2 hen. Nobody ever messed with her before. I haven't seen any of the birds pick on her lately but we aren't home all day to watch them and she spends a lot of time in the egg box now also.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

The fact that she is not laying and spending a lot of time in the egg box might be a more important clue. She might be having issues laying. I am not very knowledgeable on that so i will tag someone else and see if they can help you investigate that possibility
@Eggcessive

 

[Tanner123]

The fact that she is not laying and spending a lot of time in the egg box might be a more important clue. She might be having issues laying. I am not very knowledgeable on that so i will tag someone else and see if they can help you investigate that possibility
@Eggcessive

We have felt for a egg and dont feel anything in her abdomen and her vent looks normal. She's eating and drinking fine and not lethargic. When she is in the egg box we dont see her strain like she is trying to lay. She will let out a short growl as another hen comes in to lay but only one short growl and then shes fine. She doesn't try to steal their eggs to lay on either. It's like she just wants to hang out in the egg box. We were thinking its a safety and comfort thing since she lost her partner in crime.

 

[LaFleche]

We have felt for a egg and dont feel anything in her abdomen and her vent looks normal. She's eating and drinking fine and not lethargic. When she is in the egg box we dont see her strain like she is trying to lay. She will let out a short growl as another hen comes in to lay but only one short growl and then shes fine. She doesn't try to steal their eggs to lay on either. It's like she just wants to hang out in the egg box. We were thinking its a safety and comfort thing since she lost her partner in crime.

Sounds like she is getting broody.
You may want to trim her head fluff to allow for unimpaired vision.

 

[Tanner123]

Sounds like she is getting broody.
You may want to trim her head fluff to allow for unimpaired vision.

We kind of thought that too. But she doesn't put up a fight to other hens when they come in or to us when we reach in and she doesnt even sit on any eggs that are in the box. We keep her head feathers trimmed up so she can see.

 

[chooki]

If the two chickens were very, very close, like always hang out together, then it could be sort of mourning - like, not sure what to do without the chicken she always hang around with.

I had a chicken that acted 'odd' after losing the only chick that she hatched, and another that differed from her normal behaviour after losing a very long time flock mate - a head hen and close friend to her, although with the second case she was kind of broody so I am not sure whether the hormone imbalance was also a factor.

 

[Tanner123]

If the two chickens were very, very close, like always hang out together, then it could be sort of mourning - like, not sure what to do without the chicken she always hang around with.

I had a chicken that acted 'odd' after losing the only chick that she hatched, and another that differed from her normal behaviour after losing a very long time flock mate - a head hen and close friend to her, although with the second case she was kind of broody so I am not sure whether the hormone imbalance was also a factor.

They were definitely buddies. They even slept next to each other in the roost.