# Chicken Depression



## The-Goat-Posse (Aug 30, 2016)

Hello, so I was wondering, have any of you had chickens that have shown signs of depression? I know it's a weird/dumb question, but I'm kind of worried about my Polish Cockerel. He used to be a really outgoing and mischievous chicken, always getting himself into trouble by escaping the yard and acting like a punk towards the other chickens. Ever since his brother died though, he's just been so... I don't know, sad? He looked for his brother for about a week straight (they were partners in crime) and then he just stopped. He just sits in the same few spots all day long, and has gone from the middle of the pecking order to the bottom. It's a sad thing to watch, maybe I'm overthinking all of this, but I just really feel like he's down in the dumps.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

I've never had a depressed chicken, though we have mostly buff orpingtons and they're a pretty laid back kind of bird. We have a couple Polish top hat hens (new for this year) and they are pretty quirky in comparison to the buffs. 

I read somewhere of someone with a tom turkey that got depressed after some of his flock was harvested.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I bet he is missing his buddy.


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Seen it! Yes, I think so, at least believe it possible. Not sure it's like what we think of depression, but they do like routine and companionship! A friend, or "sister," I met years ago, well she has described thins with some of her birds! I can't recall precisely, but she claimed it to be true for a certain hen of hers. It was quite sweet!

Does he have any other Roos? Hens? I read about giving a stuffed toy where they use to sit or nest, ...

Also, the back yard chicken website may say a great deal about it! 

We had a lamb lose a brother, and he was sad...very sad story. But the surviving brother became my best friend! Different than a rooster, but sweet just the same.

Give him extra attention if you can! Talk to him?

Good luck!


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## The-Goat-Posse (Aug 30, 2016)

Thank you all so much for the replies! And yes odieclark, we have a few other roos, one of which is around his age, give or take a month, but they all ignore him. All the hens ignore him too (mostly because he's only a few months old) except for his sister and a few of the hens who target him. I was hoping he might start looking for companionship with his sister, but it just isn't the same. I've been trying to shower him in attention because he's my baby, but nothing is really helping. I'll have to check out what the backyard chickens website says about it. And I'm so sorry about the loss of your lamb, but I'm glad his brother is doing well!


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Buy a chick and separate the roo and put him in with the chick so they bond and he will be back to normal in the mean time. I've had this happen and I did this good luck


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