I agree with chickens being the best stress relievers (so long as they don't go hiding and come back with 20 babies!). Compared to my dog and cats, they are far more relaxing. I've gone out in the evenings and just watched or held my birds, long enough so that I got phone calls to make sure I wasn't dragged off by a mountain lion or something. I swear I get more from 2 minutes watching my birds than I do an hour of therapy, especially from their personalities and 'social lives'... Apparently my mother had an argument with my hen, Louisa, this morning and lost. Louie is a RIR whom has separation issues and anxiety, and after she wouldn't reintegrate with the flock, she moved into a kennel in my garage at night. During the day, she lounges with my pets in the yard and peeks in windows on the deck.
Anyways, my brother stopped to visit, and my mom was trying to get Louie off of a deck storage bin (that is the perfect height for looking in the windows). Here's how it apparently went down:
Mom: Henny Penny, NO! *moved/nudged her off the bin*
Louisa: Squawks wildly and hops back on the bin
Mom: Bad bird. No, get down! *pushes off*
Louisa: Squawks more and jumps back on the bin
It happened about 4 times before my mom gave up and went inside. Louie went to the outdoor sink under the kitchen window and was glaring at my mother for probably a half hour. She believes the personality bit now. Louisa just wanted someone to scratch her chin, lol. That was a long post.