3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[staceychristie]

Hi, A couple of days ago we lost Dorothy. We've only one of our original 5 girls left (Davina) and now have 3 newer girls who've been here a few months.

Davina (Top Choock) is looking a bit miserable. She's in good health (feeding eating drinking) but it's almost like she's crying for Dorothy. She certainly doesn't want to 'bully' the new girls, and corn on the cobb is left for them to eat.

Do Hens get Depressed? She's getting plenty of attention, but she prefers to hide under the bush (where they both used to hang out) for alot of the day.

 

Thanks Stacey

[Peaches]

Stacey

 

I am not experienced enough to give advice, but would say that the more I know of animals, the more I am aware they have a broader range of experiences and feelings than humans generally give them credit for. Good luck with Davina.

[gongladosh]

Very sorry to hear about Dorothy.

 

I believe hens very much do feel emotions - we lost our hen Kent last week, and her friend Kiki was by her side as she died - in fact, Kiki realised Kent had died before my girlfriend and I did. At the moment that Kent 'went', Kiki buried her head against my girlfriend - she couldn't watch. Later that afternoon she sat in a spare Eglu Cube we have and quietly clucked away to herself for 20 minutes or so (it wasn't anything to do with laying). I reckon she was crying.

 

What we've done to cheer her up is get her two new friends and it's worked very nicely.

 

Extra cuddles help too.

[staceychristie]

Thanks for your replies. She's still abit fed up, and she's starting to loose a few feathers. It was funny how immediately prior to Dorothy going, she was still bullying the new girls around, but she seems to have lost inspiration.

On the plus side, she is still a little fatty, and shes still eating and drinking - just sits under the bush for ages. I'll keep you posted --- Thanks again for your help

 

Stacey -X-

[staceychristie]

Better news... She's started to throw her weight (!) around again. Guess she had a little wobble (as we did) at the loss of her last original pal.

Thank heavens she's stuffing her face again.

 

Stacey

[gongladosh]

great to hear it!!!!

[CallyChook]

Definitely in my opinion, chickens have the capability to feel grief. My rooster died leaving Morgana, then top chook, very very sad - despite that she had him to thank for being bald from treading.

 

She took to moping around and went off her food considerably for a few days.

 

She's now bottom chook as the others and the new cock took the oportunity to rearrange the pecking order, and although she "cheered up" in about a week, she's remained bottom. Poor Morgie!

 

xx