4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Cyber Chook]

Unexpected Health Benefits of Keeping Chickens:

 

I didn't expect:

 

to spend quite so long gazing at, thinking about, laughing at, dreaming about, talking about, obsessing about, these funny, daft birds. They really do have health benefits beyond providing us with gorgeous fresh, tasty eggs, don't they? I go into a sort of trance sitting watching them, and I'm aware of my heartbeat slowing right down. It's a kind of meditation, I suppose?

 

What is really heartwarming is to see how my teenagers' friends all rush through the house now to the back door and out into the garden. Then I hear hoots of laughter as a chicken lands on a lap or pecks at a bare toe, and then it goes quiet and they're sitting quietly just watching, chillin' wid da chooks

What with GCSE's and A Levels, and all the negativity there is for teenagers to have to face and deal with in our society, how nice for them to be able to just relax and have some space in their heads.

 

Caroline

[Seagazer]

I must admit the girls were a god send to me after Tom's friend was killed. I would sit out in the garden looking at them and thinking and often Tom would come out and just sit quietly with me and then would start talking. I would often ask him if he was ok and he would say yes but sitting out there he would open up, really did help.

[alih]

they are wonderfully soothing - my oldest daughter is 14 but she of all the kids is the one who loves cuddling the girls the most - she dashes in after school, takes of her shoes and communes with the chickens (by grabbing each one in turn in very unzenlike fashion). It's lovely to see them all together, no peer pressure or trying to be cool ( apart form the chickens)

[Ain't Nobody Here]

My 16 year old loves the girlies . He goes out every day to pick one up for a cuddle .

[The Dogmother]

I go home from work for my lunch and love to wacth the chooks. If it's sunny then I eat outside so that I can chat to them.

[jools+6]

they are great for keeping kids entertained . my four love them and my seven year old boy thinks it's so cool to have them in the garden , they all bring there friends in to see them but there are still one or two of my two boys friends think its strange (and smelly - which they aren't !) but my older two (girls) friends think its great . it's like watching gold fish , for the first two weeks we just sat and watched them _ cheaper than a t.v. license !!!lol

[jackiet]

My 17-year old son loves our girls too. He held them for me while I clipped their wings when they first arrived and he is very keen on a chookie cuddle! He will be chicken-sitting for us when we go away next week

[Keanie Bean]

We love our chickens, when something isnt going right with one or other of them you spend all day and night worring about them. It's lovely to have pets which are useful too .

 

Sarah.x

[Carol U]

We find that friends of all ages (children to pensioners) barely say 'Hello' to us nowadays before dashing straight out to visit the chickens!

[Mutrix Farmers]

Son gets really upset if I've collected all the eggs.

 

Every night he goes out to say goodnight to the girls, and shepherds them back into their run for the night. He runs around the run twice with them all chasing him, then stands by the door and they go in

[jools+6]

two of my cousins boys (ages 15 and 21 ) were round like a shot when we got them . they didn't go home tilll the hens had gone into roost . then they were off . it was nice to know they didn't come to see us !!!

[The Dogmother]

Rosie (10) loves our girls snd enjoys chatting to them and helping to look after them. I have to say that some of her friends are less impressed though, and prefer diversions with more technology. One even brings her Nintendo thingy round with her because we don't have computer/TV games here. As she has come to play with Rosie (who isn't into computer games) I find this a bit rude. Now I suggest that she leaves it 'somewhere safe' (dining room table) while she plays with Rosie.

 

I could waste hours communing with my girls.

[Scooby]

They definately don't help when you've got work to do! I work from home and I've now learnt it's not a good idea to take your work outside otherwise it'll still be there to do hours later! I just end up watching the girls antics instead

[chelsea]

what a nice post and thread.

 

Its great to hear your teenagers enjoy "chillin"...

 

We also find them incredibly theraputic, I have a very stressful job and coming home and sitting with the girls for an hour really de-stresses me.

[Karen & co.]

Then I hear hoots of laughter as a chicken lands on a lap or pecks at a bare toe, and then it goes quiet and they're sitting quietly just watching, chillin' wid da chooks

What with GCSE's and A Levels, and all the negativity there is for teenagers to have to face and deal with in our society, how nice for them to be able to just relax and have some space in their heads.

 

Caroline

 

That is so true ES has finished his exams and is spending time at home during the day sometimes by his self, and he spends ages sat chatting to the girls checking on them and looking for eggs

 

Sam one of my original chooks is poorly at the moment but it's lovely to know he is keeping an eye on her quite a close eye as I get a very detailed report of what she has eaten and where she has been sitting

 

Karen x

[Duckmomma]

My 16 year old daughters boyfriend and his mates love our birds (I say birds cos we have a duck and a goose as well as the Bantams)

They think the Bantams are the duck when she comes in the house with her nappy on is

And the goose is just

[Abbey Road Girl]

Lovely thread! Chickens are theraputic. Any chance of them being made available by the NHS?

[Cinnamon]

My 15 year old daughter barely even goes into the garden

In fact the last time she went anywhere near the hens,she was suprised to see a couple of new ones - we had had them for a few months by then.

 

My 13 year old is a big fan though,& has her own pen of Bantams,which is the smaller round pen in my picture on my sig below