Neurodivergent chicken keepers

[Sinadrea]

Hi all. Before i go any further with this let me explain what this is about and why you may want to consider hopping on the thread.

This thread is for neurodivergent chicken keepers, which means essentially people who think a little differently then others. Autism, OCD, ADHD, etc. It’s made with the intentions of sharing your experiences owning chickens being neurodivergent and knowing your not alone. With that being said, this doesn’t mean you need to be neurodivergent to be on this thread! Even if you are, you do not need to feel the need to explain what you might have, or even talk about it at all. I’m aware that sometimes it can make people uncomfortable to discuss about these types of things and feel that they should describe what they have but it’s important to have awareness, so with that said, if you feel uncomfortable in anyway sharing, please, don’t. There is nothing wrong with watching the thread and not even typing. You don’t need to feel pressured to describe what you have, either, but if you would like to do that feel free. I made this with the intentions of feeling comfortable that you are not alone, and to just chat to others about things like chickens, ducks, whatever!

Hello all,
I just saw this thread pop up and wanted to add to it.

I consider myself being not able to connect with others easily, an introvert, and also too sensitive to try to talk to acquaintances.

I love chicken keeping as a hobby, I connect with my birds like they are my dogs, and unfortunately talk to them more than I do most humans.

I have a 1 year old and am hoping she'll have fun chicken keeping with me. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Sinadrea]

I'm sorry I should have said that that's just me personally that I don't like that word, I don't want to make people feel like they shouldn't use it I think it's really cool that you're autistic too. And that you live in Australia? So cool!! That's my dream place to go because of the crazy wildlife! Have you heard of Bridey Drake before? I love her YT channel and her personality (Kinda random ik...)
I absolutely love game breeds, owlbeards, Malines, lakenvelders, and vorwerks. How about you?

I got Lakenvelders this year and I love their personalities. I wasn't expecting them to follow me around, because I read online that they didn't like people.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I got Lakenvelders this year and I love their personalities. I wasn't expecting them to follow me around, because I read online that they didn't like people.

oh my gosh you did?!!! That's so awesome And that is actually surprising, I thought they were very shy!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Oh don't feel bad! Like I said, use the terms you're comfortable with for sure!

Yes, I have, she's sort of everywhere We definitely have fun wildlife!

Oh, game breeds definitely seem fun! I like vorwerks too! I bought eggs once but I had a really bad hatch and none of them hatched
Rare breed wise I like La Flèche. Though technically most of my birds right now are counted as a rare breed or variety here. For now I'm wanting to focus on rare Sussex varieties, showgirl silkies and experimenting with silkie colour genetics.

Oh no, I'm sorry that you had bad luck with your hatch La Fleche are so beautiful, I absolutely love their v comb and head shape (Idk why lol) I've never had sussex or silkies before because my local hatchery only sells them as straight run! Ugh!

 

[Sinadrea]

oh my gosh you did?!!! That's so awesome And that is actually surprising, I thought they were very shy!

Yeah, so I got them from a farm store as chicks. They are about 4 months old now. One of them lets me pet and hold her. I was surprised too!

 

[Chicken poppy]

Hello all,
I just saw this thread pop up and wanted to add to it.

I consider myself being not able to connect with others easily, an introvert, and also too sensitive to try to talk to acquaintances.

I love chicken keeping as a hobby, I connect with my birds like they are my dogs, and unfortunately talk to them more than I do most humans.

I have a 1 year old and am hoping she'll have fun chicken keeping with me. Thanks for the idea!

Hi and welcome to the thread! I think we’re all guilty of at least a little animal talking. They’re good listeners too

 

[dearmeghann]

I love sitting out with the birds and watching nature. It's so good for my brain. I even tolerate the heat a little more while doing it. I'm diagnosed ADHD and C-PTSD. I also have sarcoidosis. Chicken tending has been so wonderful for me! I have a partner who is on the spectrum (aren't we all?), and I think the routine and taking care of animals while also being outside in nature is therapeutic.

It can be super stressful, but working through that stress and finding accommodations for our needs has been a great experience.

 

[CombNWattles]

Anyone else heard of Paula Prober and her ‘rainforest mind’ books?
https://rainforestmind.com/
Also, is anyone interested in or has heard of Internal Family Systems therapy?

 

[LtDanFan]

I love this group. No one else can understand why i have feeder bins full of food but also have bags in metal bins and on order just in case i forget to place a feed order in the next 4 weeks. It’s hard to explain to my normal brained hubs that despite having bins that hold 35lbs of feed, I have to have 5 times that on standby because i have to keep that bin full at all times. I’m so glad to have discovered this thread and i will someday do a deep dive on the other 26 pages of posts. Probably at the most inopportune time according to my staff but nevertheless, i think that’s part of my charm.