Can animals get depressed?

My husband was reading “The Local Weekly” yesterday. He shared some interesting facts that somehow in my forty-four years of life had escaped me. For instance, Scientists have proven that cows that have been named by their owners produce more milk. And, how about this little piece of information? Chickens can suffer from depression.

Now, I have to admit, I kinda chuckled as I heard the latter of these two tidbits of scientific data. Don’t get me wrong. I believe animals have feelings. I see it in my dog’s eyes when I’m leaving the house and they want to go with me. I see it when they are scared of a stranger or thunderstorms or the vet and they look to me for comfort. I’m a huge activist for animals in shelters, etc. But, I guess I was caught off guard when my husband read about chickens being depressed. I don’t even know what kind of test they would do to determine those results. I would assume it would be similar to any other animal.

Then, today a really funny thing happened. We were watching a special on television about dairy farms. Sure enough, the farmers were reinforcing what the magazine stated (about the cows, not the chickens). If cows are “happy”, they will produce more milk. As a result, a lot of dairy farms have switched the way they manage their day to day activities. The animals are allowed to be milked when they want and they can roam the farm instead of being kept in stalls. The farmers are happier and the cows are happier.

Well, I know that depression can affect many aspects of a person’s life. And, I have seen a pet after an owner or a member of their “pack” has passed away. The affect is basically the same. Plus, I know that I am more productive when I am happy. Evidently, cows are too! So, is it too far a stretch to think that maybe we (people and animals) may be wired somewhat the same emotionally?

And then I started thinking... Why is it so easy for me to think that my dogs have feelings, yet I chuckled when I heard that chickens may suffer from depression? Is it because I don't have any chickens living with me day after day? Is it because I eat chicken for dinner? I eat beef, though not that often,(I just don't care for it that much), but I totally believed the story about happy cows. I don't know why I feel the way I do. I just thought the whole thing was pretty interesting. I hope you did, too.