Zayn Malik just shared a heartbreaking story about how his sick pet chicken died in his arms after he took it to the vet

On "Call Her Daddy," the singer got emotional as he recalled a vet's less-than-kind reaction after he brought in his sick pet chicken.

• Zayn Malik got emotional as he recalled a vet's less-than-kind reaction after he brought in his chicken.
• "The vet laughed at me and said people don't bring chickens here," he said on "Call Her Daddy."
• The endearingly unexpected anecdote has prompted a huge reaction on social media.

Zayn Malik gave shared a heartbreaking story about having a pet chicken die in his arms during an appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old singer didn't hold back during the one-hour interview, discussing everything from his split from One Direction, his and Gigi Hadid's daughter Khai and the charges of harassment Hadid's mom Yolanda Hadid raised against him in 2021.

However, perhaps most surprising for many listeners was Malik's confession that he became so attached to his pet chickens that he tried to take one to the vet when it fell ill, only for the veterinarian to laugh in his face and tell him they couldn't treat it. 

Heartbreakingly, Malik said the chicken died in his arms shortly after his attempt to save its life.

The "Pillowtalk" singer launched into the unexpected anecdote when host Alex Cooper asked if had any animals. After Malik revealed that he is a big animal lover, with three cats, three dogs, and three turtles at home, he spoke about his experience keeping chickens.

"I took my chicken to the vet to get a scan because something was wrong with her and the vet laughed at me and said people don't bring chickens here," he said.

Becoming visibly emotional, Mailk continued: "And then they still charged me for an X-ray, and then I took my chicken all the way home and cried and she died in my arms."

Not sure how to react to his heartbreaking story, Cooper awkwardly laughed which prompted Malik to admit that "it's kind of funny."

"Not because the chicken died but it's just funny seeing me take a chicken to the vet I think," he said, before demonstrating how he cradled his sick chicken in his arms and repeating: "She died in my arms."

"She had something wrong with her," he explained when Cooper asked what had happened to her. "We tried to rescue them, they were going to be slaughtered, I think, but they had all kinds of things wrong with them."

"I've got new chickens now," he said, adding that while they're all "healthy" he has chosen not to name them. 

"I got too attached last time, and it made me really sad," he said of his decision to keep his new flock of chickens nameless.

A clip of the exchange shared on the "Call Her Daddy" TikTok page has amassed more than 20 million views since it was uploaded, with many people taking to the comments to express their sympathy for Malik.

"Why am i devastated," one wrote commenter, while another said: "my chicken died in my arms i was gutted they have such fab personalities. I'm with you Zane heartbreak!

Several popular TikTokers have also reacted to the video, including @DanCashio who posted a video of himself on the verge of tears as he recounted the story.

Over on Twitter, someone wrote: "seeing zayn's lil pouty lip when talking about the chicken dying makes me want to fly across the pond to find that vet who laughed about it."