What Makes Chickens Good Therapy Animals
What makes chickens good therapy
animals?
In this blog post, we will explore the reasons why
chickens make such good therapy animals.
We will also be looking at some beautiful personal
experiences on how chickens can help those with mental health issues.
Chickens may look like an unlikely therapy animal, but it
has been proven that chickens improve your psychological well being.
So what is a therapy animal?
A therapy animal is a trained animal that is used to
interact with people who may suffer from psychological problems or trauma.
Therapy animals are there to help those people relax and
recover or cope with health problems, mental disorders or trauma.
The most common animals used are dogs and cats, but other
animals have been shown to have amazing healing effects on humans.
Any animal can be used if they meet the criteria and it
depends on the therapeutic needs of the person they need to interact with.
Studies have shown that therapy animals reduce blood
pressure and increases the release of endorphins ( the feel-good hormone) which
helps a person to feel calm, alleviates pain and stress and thus improves your
psychological wellbeing.
Some of the goals
of a pet therapy programme are :
Increased physical activity
Improved self-esteem
Reduced risk of depression
Improvement of joint movement
Encouragement on communication
Lifting of spirits and lessening of depression
Decreased feeling of isolation and loneliness
Increase of socialising and a sense of community
Reduction in boredom
Decrease in anxiety
Help children to overcome speech and emotional disorders
Creates motivation
Help children learn nurturing skills
Chickens help decrease anxiety.
Therapy chickens are used in senior and long term care
environments and care homes. They are a great alternative for people who may be allergic to the usual
pets.
Chickens promote mobilisation, getting people to go outside
and to interact with the chickens.
And as many of us can agree on, chickens make us laugh with
their funny antics, laughing is very beneficial to people who are faced with
serious health challenges
Chickens make you laugh.
During this pandemic of 2020, many people felt isolated,
there was an increase in depression, sense of being alone and stress was a
major factor that really impacted our mental health. People became bored and
felt frustrated. When many of us got our first chicken we immediately started
to notice how unique, how complicated and how a chicken can change one’s life.
In the stories below we will take a look at how chickens
have helped humans to overcome their darkest days and to face life with a new
zest for life. To control their depression, psychological illnesses and trauma.
How chickens are a distraction in a life filled with pain, stress, and fear. We
will see how chickens bring joy into the lives of their humans. How they create
motivation. How they have brought a sense of community among many of us.
Nature of Nurturing
The story was written by Amy Mayfield: @Amy.mayfield
I could say for me personally, it’s the nature of nurturing.
I think most posses the desire to nurture and care for
someone, whether human or animal.
It’s a connection to whatever you are drawn to!
For me, it's always been peacocks. I’ve felt a connection to
them since the first time as a child playing in the hayloft of what I called
our peacock family farm. Even though it was primarily a cattle and wheat farm,
that happened to have a dozen peacocks living there.
I love to care for them, they make me smile, they calm my
always racing mind.
And as many of you may know I have a daughter with Multiple Sclerosis and my birds give me an out if I need a break from this part of my life, I just step out to my own personal pet paradise.
 |
| Helps lift spirits. |
Amy has a lovely Instagram account, you can follow her daily adventures by clicking the link below.
https://instagram.com/amy.mayfield.9277?igshid=ywxgca7lb8jqHealing through chickens:
The story was written by Allie: @littlechooknook
My journey with chooks started only a few months ago in
October of 2020. I was interested in fresh eggs and a purpose to my days of
lockdown, but what I’ve ended up with is the best type of therapy I’ve ever
experienced!
I’ve been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, BPD ( Borderline Personality disorder ), PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and an eating disorder for
over 10 years now, and after years of trying counselling, therapy, doctors and
support workers nothing had ever clicked and really, made a difference……until
chickens!
Having these wonderful little animals presents a reason and
a necessity to get out of bed every morning, they demand my full attention in
caring for their needs, so I have to be less wrapped up in my own thoughts. They
need me to be at my best, so I can best look after them…but in return, they have
taught me how special it is to gain the trust of such complex animals and that I am capable of doing good in this
world. I believe they pick up on moods and react accordingly…. For example when
I’m feeling down, our little boss lady, Aggie, will be the first into my lap
with some reassuring chippers and cheeps.
These amazing little birds bring constant joy and smiles
with their funny ways and unique personalities…and it really doesn’t stop
there! The skills and knowledge that I’ve gained since owning chooks is
somewhere between veterinary science and DIY 101!
Having chickens have left me feeling like a much more well
rounded individual, with a proper sleeping schedule ( which anyone with mental
health problems will know is fundamental to a healthy brain!), a task for two
for each day, and a sense of excitement every single time I take a walk out to
the coop, not to mention the feeling of pride when cooking up a lovely fresh egg
that one of the ladies laid! ( + I know there’s no nasty badness hidden
inside, because I know exactly what went into making those eggs !)
To anyone who feels they have a gap in their lives, are
feeling lost, or have a big ‘black dog’ that won’t stop following them
around…..get some chickens….they’ll have that pouting pooch running for the
hills!
Chickens reduce depression and give motivation.
https://instagram.com/littlechooknook?igshid=60jy5a97ghg0
Finding Pandemic Perspective Through Chickens
By Caleigh Cross,
@whatthecluckeggs
Edsel Ford saved my life.
Edsel, my
four-and-a-half-year-old ISA brown hen, wouldn't have looked like much to anyone
other than me. She was small and slight, a dull brown with white feathers
around her neck like a judge's collar, and walked with an odd gait after losing
her tail to a hawk attack at about a year old. Her voice was scratchy and she
never quite got that appealingly fluffy butt back after her injuries. Her dad
gave her a hefty name after the man responsible for Ford's Model As back in The 1920s. If she were a human, she'd have been picked on in school, and I would
have been right there with her.
Edsel was my best friend.
After I drove her to the vet in tears after her injury, she followed me or her
dad everywhere we went. She quickly learned how to escape her run, but never
went anywhere other than to wait for us on the steps outside our house. She'd
sleep on my lap, come running to me in the morning and chat to me while I
worked in the garden in her deep, throaty clucks. She was often found hanging
out in the garage with her dad while he worked on his cars.
Until last May.
By then, it felt like
every single one of the stars was being systematically scrubbed from the sky.
Everything we were looking forward to dropped off the calendar as the world
realized how seriously COVID-19 would change our lives. Friends, family, the
variety and spice of life, all dulled to one never-ending Groundhog Day. I was
afraid to turn on the TV for fear of what would be gutted next. How much more can they take? I remember
thinking.
I was in one of the
darkest and twistiest places I've ever found myself when one May morning, it
got so much worse.
I went outside to feed
Edsel and her sisters and when I opened the coop, she didn't bring up the rear
as usual, so I headed inside to find her.
When I did, I couldn't
help covering my mouth in shock.
Her entire back end
seemed like it had fallen apart overnight. I was sure I could see organs and
maybe even bone. She was bleeding and unable to stand, and looked at me with
that familiar pleading in her eyes: Mom,
I'm sick again. Help.
And did I ever try!
I did everything they
tell you to do — I brought her inside, I gave her a saltwater bath, I
blow-dried her, I offered food and electrolytes, but the damage was hard to
even look at, for a layperson. I wasn't sure what was still attached and what
could become infected, so I kept my explorations minimal. Our vet couldn't see
us for 24 hours, so we had to wait.
I kept her next to me in
a box all that day and overnight, checking every hour to make sure she was
still breathing. I held her, sang to her, prayed for her, held her up in Zoom
meetings. Her small, feathered mangle of a body was in my hands, but her fate
was somewhere less tangible and impossible to scry.
That day, nothing else
mattered. Not the raging pandemic, the ineffable loneliness or the ropes my
stomach had been knotted in for months. My best friend was hurt, and there was
nothing I could do for her but take her to the vet and cross my fingers.
As it turned out, Edsel
had suffered a prolapse — her inner organs had pushed themselves out of her
vent, and some of the tissue had begun to die.
Our brilliant vet, Dr.
Emily, simply removed the dead tissue, replaced her organs and stitched her up.
Edsel was going to be
just fine.
Ten minutes later, I was
covering my eyes against the sun and sobbing as I took the cardboard box with
Edsel in it from her. She was dozing and on some heavy pain medication, but Dr.
Emily kept telling me we'd done it, we'd saved her, we could bring her home.
 |
| Edsel was my best friend~Caleigh |
As I drove, my heart choked on the helium suddenly filling it. Edsel's injury had provided some badly needed perspective — the things that matter can't be stripped away so easily, and I needed to cherish them while they're here.
It's been ten months
since we've been to a party. We haven't eaten in a restaurant in six. My
beloved brother has grown a beard, shaved it off and grown it again in the time
that's stretched between our visits. There is substantial mourning ahead for
us, but the sun shines. The mail comes. Every day I eat my lunch with my flock.
I feel their warm weight on my lap. I close my eyes and feel them peck
curiously at my shoelaces. I can feel the solid, feathery certainty of what
matters most.
Chickens reduce the sense of isolation.
Caleigh has a deep and very real love for her chickens, Go follow the lives of Disco and her feathery friends by clicking the link below.
https://instagram.com/whatthecluckeggs?igshid=1hxi9ptqc6p1i
Chickens and Coping with Pain
Story by Nicole Malmborg: @fluffybunsfarm
Something that a lot of people don’t know about me is that I
have suffered from chronic pain almost my entire life.
I have had debilitating migraines since I was five years
old. My chronic back pain began when I was about 17, and once I turned 18 I
started having pain everywhere. I was suffering from fatigue, joint pain,
widespread pain, cognitive function, and the list goes on.
After a few years, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I am
now 27. Some days are better than others, but I have never had a day in my life
where I am not in pain.
I have been out on disability this year, and that is when we
decided to welcome our chickens to our family. They help me so much in every
way. They can’t take away my physical pain, but they bring me so much joy. Some
days the pain is so bad that I feel like I cannot get out of bed. I will get
myself up, or with the help of my boyfriend, and will sit out there with them
in the fresh air, and just experience pure happiness.
Being in pain every day can really take a toll on your
mental health, and having chickens, or any animal for that matter, lifts my
spirits and makes me genuinely happy. They get me moving even when I don’t
think that my body can. They make me smile even when I don’t think it’s
possible. They bring me back to life when I am feeling hopeless.
 |
| Chickens increase physical activity. |
Nicole is one of the people I respect most, she is so positive and, loving and always has a kind word to say. And she takes some of the most stunning photos of her chickens, to follow her account click on the link below.
https://instagram.com/fluffybunsfarm?igshid=1881x4ordtus6
Don’t
Bawk at chicken therapy!
Story Written By Candace: @Fowlcoholic
About 6 years ago I started my first
flock of chickens. I surprised myself as well as my family members because I
had never grown up with chickens or been a farm girl for that matter.
Birds have always been my favourite
animal ever since I was young, but where the desire specifically for chickens
came from is still left to question.
When we bought our first home 6 years
ago I told my husband that one of the requirements was a space for chickens.
Building our first chicken coop was
actually the very first project we did as homeowners.
The last 10 years off and on I have
struggled with my mental health. The symptoms could sometimes leave you feeling
all over the board. The chickens have remained a constant for me.
When I can feel anxiety creeping into
my chest, going to see the hens calms my spirit and almost makes me forget that
the anxiety was even there just minutes ago. The ongoing joy chickens make me
feel is hands down the best kind of medicine out there.
Having a reason to go outside
multiple times a day, breathe fresh air, provide them treats and see their
eager, sweet little faces, makes me smile just as big as the first time I had
them.
Chickens give you a reason to smile
You learn their little personalities,
their quirks, their likes and dislikes. They have much more character than most
might give them credit for. They are intelligent and curious. Humorous and entertaining!
One might “BAWK” at the idea of
chickens being therapy animals. However, I’m here to tell ya that they have
provided my head and my heart healing and comfort that DR’s, dogs, and
counsellors couldn’t.
I could never repay them in mealworms
what they have given me back to me!
Chickens are the best kind of medicine out there~ Candace
Candace is an absolute sweetheart, She has the most beautiful spirit and her chickens are definitely very much loved. to follow her daily escapades click on the link below.
https://instagram.com/fowlcoholic?igshid=1q0rg3yn5ssas
Finding
Healing Through Love
The story was written by Shalane Botha:
@chickennoodleandco
I have struggled with depression for
as long as I can remember. As a child, I grew up in a very abusive home where
alcoholism was a very real and very nasty thing.
As a child, I always turned to my
animals for emotional support and comfort. I had Horses, Dogs and cats, they
were all great companions and some were my best friends, but for me, they never
gave me that sense of peace that I always so desperately yearned for.
As a result of the depression, I
developed severe Insomnia. Add those two together in a blender and you have
hell on hot wheels!
In 2019 our life took a turn for the
worse and we lost everything, from furniture to our beloved pets, one of which
had to be euthanized due to old age and disease.
We lived at my brother in law’s for a
few months till we could finally rent a place of our own. During those month’s
the depression and Insomnia were slowly driving me over the edge.
Then in January of 2020, I got my
Friend Noodles, she was only 4 weeks old when she came home with us. And let me
tell you, I never ever imagined how she would end up changing my life!
She cured my Insomnia as she used to
sleep with me at nights, she has put a strong damper on my depression and has
healed my heartache of losing my beloved dog.
Noodles has given new meaning to my
life, she has given me new motivation and has given me friends I have met
because of her. She is the strongest reason for me to get up and face each day,
she is my joy and she gives me that peace I have always yearned for.
Because of her, I have found a
beautiful community of people who shares their daily chicken life with us, who
are always there for us chicken people. Because of her, I am no longer lonely.
Noodles has become the guardian of my
mental and emotional health. Without her, I shudder to think where I would be
today.
Chickens help with communication and a sense of community.
She has opened so many new doors for
me and brings endless joy and peace into my heart and Soul.
She is my friend Noodles!
 |
| Chickens promote emotional healing. |
Chickens are Super Heroes :
Written by: Teddi @therapy_chickens
Chickens are incredibly therapeutic to me. They are like
little fluffy companions who can be snuggly, funny, independent, and so many
more things too.
They can be a pet, just like a dog or a cat and with just as
much personality.
 |
| Chickens are little fluffy companions~Teddi |
But they are so much more, too. They are fully immersed in their environment, perfect yard beings who interact closely with the flora and fauna of their home. They keep insects at bay, eat food waste, aerate and fertilise the soil, sequester carbon deeper into roots by grazing, all the while also providing local protein-packed sustenance in the form of eggs.
They are literally superheroes! So their therapeutic nature
comes both in my direct relationship with each hen and also in the comfort I
feel being a part of a healthy living ecosystem in my own backyard.
 |
| Chickens create a sense of comfort |
.Teddi has a great Instagram account,with some of the best content around, her love for her chickens can be seen in each post . She also has an awesome Etsy store with some great artsy items for sale. To follow her account click the link below.
https://instagram.com/therapy_chickens?igshid=1lyl2rtjveaas
Something Good Will Always Be Waiting At The Coop:
Written by: Anna Pennel: @Divachickens
As a professor, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work
from home during the pandemic, spending hours alone in front of a computer,
isolated from my friends and my students but staying relatively “safe” and
doing work I care about. Still, 2020 took its toll: my mother and her husband,
who are in their late 70s, had two major surgeries each. My brother and my
little nephew contracted the virus. Another close family member was given very
few months to live. The college where I work experienced crippling financial
challenges, friends lost jobs, students needed more support, and as my hours at
the computer increased, my eyes, back, and hands began to twitch and ache of
their own accord. The quiet woods behind my house were destroyed as developers
moved in, and by the end of the year, when my mammogram came back with
“irregularities,” (thankfully not cancer, but still requiring surgery), my
anxiety was through the roof.
It sounds funny when I say it out loud, but the thing that
got me through it all was our eight chickens (and two dogs). I’d heard for ages
that chickens are effective for reducing anxiety and providing relief from
depression and isolation, but when our eight, day-old little balls of fluff
arrived in May, I didn’t imagine they would provide those things for me in such
an intense and life-affirming way. Staring into the paper towel-lined cardboard
box at the tiny newcomers, I only knew that I was mesmerized. It wasn’t just the
warm red light, it wasn’t just the wonder of watching brand new babies explore
their world, it wasn’t just their increasingly individual personalities
emerging, it was all those things, woven into the connection that formed
between us from the moment I set them down and began to watch. With the first
peep from the very first peeper, chicken therapy had begun.
I’ve worked with animals all my life, mostly rescue dogs and
other peoples’ show horses, but the bond that forms between a human and a bird,
especially a chicken, is completely different. Like all pet or domestic
animals, they are completely dependent on us, but for me, there’s more to
“chicken therapy” than just the caretaking. For one thing, they are pure
entertainment. There’s also something special in the way they come running the
minute I walk out the back door. And there’s the unique sound they make just
for me (my chicken name is something like “AAAAAAKKKKK”), plus the excitement
of seeing who’s left an egg every day. But most of all, there’s something
therapeutic about chickens just being chickens.
 |
| There is something therapeutic about chickens just being chickens~ Anna |
Sitting with them, trusted and welcome in their home,
watching them peck and listening to their soft clucks, I am calm. I’m focused;
their feather pattern is endlessly fascinating. When my special chicken, a
leghorn named Lina, chose to sit on my lap the first time, or when Speedy the
Polish Bantam first flew up to my shoulder, I felt…honoured. They’re soft to
touch, warm, affectionate, and so trusting. The others keep more of a distance,
and that’s okay, too. I’m content whenever I’m with them.
Chickens are not for everyone: they are all smelly, they
require daily coop-cleaning, are vulnerable to predators, and they can be
cranky, cantankerous, stubborn, picky, aloof, and demanding. Ours have an
amazing talent for knowing when I need to stay clean and leap onto my shoulder
with careless abandon. I think they are probably entertained by watching me
slog through the mud to come feed them or repair their windbreak in the pouring
rain. But still, when life is too much, I head out to the coop, knowing
something good will always be waiting. It’s therapy of the best kind.
 |
| Chickens create a sense of calm. |
Anna is a wonderful person, I love seeing her photos on Instagram and love how well she captures each of her chicken's personalities, to follow her click on the link below.
https://instagram.com/diva.chickens?igshid=1xuqsde21jmkz
This was a really good po, informative and entertaining 😊. Makes me want to get a chicken too!
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