Respect for Chickens Day

I don't plan on writing about every wacky animal holiday, but May 4th is International Respect for Chickens Day and I have some interesting chicken stories that I've wanted to share.

Earlier last month I ran across an obituary for a chicken. His name was Mr. Fluffy Pants, which already tells you that he's not your average rooster. He spent his entire life at Green Chimneys where he helped to educate nursing home residents and school children alike. There was a line that struck me: "It just seems fitting to tell everyone about Fluffy Pants having died- or maybe, to tell everyone that he had lived." After reading that, I'm sad that I never got to meet him but I'm glad that he was able to touch so many people while he was still alive.

Otis was a rooster that I worked with.

On a happier note, I read an article about a woman that brings a chicken and Cornish hen specifically to facilities with older adults. Her reasoning is that many older people grew up with chickens. Carlita and Alex (the birds) have proved to be a huge hit. She calls their group "Fowl Play". I saw the same type of response when I drove the Zoomobile and would bring chickens to adult facilities. People loved to share stories of their experiences (both good and bad) with hens and roosters.

A few days ago, I stumbled across a blog called Coop & Cottage and I'm so glad that I did! Chicken Therapy is an absolutely lovely post about why chickens are great for the teenage years. Debbie explains that chickens are good for both for the parents "they cannot roll their eyes" and the actual teenager "they don't ask if your bed is made". (Memo to self, when I become a parent to a teenager, get chickens!) I really enjoyed her style of writing and found what she had to say, very interesting. I ended up reading all of her posts after Chicken Therapy and when I get some more free time I'm excited to go back and read the older posts.

If after reading all of this you have a newfound respect for chickens and are interested in learning more about owning them I have one more link for you. This blog, Restoring the Roost, is by another chicken lover. She has posts about things like Chicken First Aid, and how to make a Chicken Saddle (for hens when the rooster is too rough).

So now, I hope you will "give a cluck" about chickens because they are excellent therapy animals for people of all ages.