Will chickens help my depression?

[JohnPeel]

Peel, and John Peel are really quite old family names, I don't know about the book by John Peel you mention, but there is a popular book out by Radio DJ John Peel, and Im thinking you may be talking about that one, although I could be wrong because like I say, it is quite a popular name.

Whe we bought our house last year in Wales, it had a crest over the door. We never really gave it much of a thought, as there are so many old and knackered homes in the area that once were owned by Lord Mostyn and his estates. But, after looking into the crest one day, I found that it was a crest for several families, and get this, including my own. I couldnt believe it was actually the Peel crest. How weird is that. My family havent got a pot to piss in, but we have a crest hahah!






Check this egg out Hennotrooster, its huge. Your picture reminded me. The poor thing that laid it. They are all walking OK so we can't tell which one it is. I have quite large hands and this is a normal sized egg next to the big one.





And don't leave the door open, they know where the food comes from.




As you can tell, I am loving these crazy birds. I knew they might be funny to watch, but I never thought they could be so much fun. They are sneaky and clever. We couldnt find them the other day, and we went into a panic. We were looking in the woods and over into next doors paddock, and then my wife went out of the front door and found them in the front garden near the road. They had walked all the way around the house and over the stream then back again, through the front garden and into the driveway area. I think that's it now, they are truely free ranging. I can only hope they don't go too far, as they are very trusting and I don't know how they will react if they see a dog or someone who might want to take one home. I never thought I would get so attached to them.

 

[Fancychooklady]

John, so nice to hear you talking with such passion about your girls! Do you have any roosters?
I have found that my roosters have oodles of character. Anyway enjoying your thread you sound like you are in a very good place now. Keep

 

[tgooberbutt]

I always reasoned that egg size is the reason why chickens 'bok' so loud after they lay their egg - If I had to pass something the size of my head out my ***, I'd be yelling too. :/
And that IS quite a huge egg there LOL!

And yes - they learn very quickly where food comes from.... the buckets, the bins, the hands, and the faces if you ever decide to raise meal worms for the chickens, that's when they get REALLY nosy! And do your chickens all travel in such a tight pack together?

 

[adgcountrygirl]

I love my chickens, and find them very theraputic.

 

[bluejeans]

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...A1695F907BAF5BA34DF2A1&view=detail&FORM=VIRE1

depresson its no stranger to me either .. and yes for me its my ducks that get me to smile and remember God is working in my life even through his other creatures .. So yes enjoy life smile

be happy . and when dark clouds form and they will remember who is on your side as you feed your chickens.

 

[Trefoil]

I know what you mean. I have really given my condition some serious thought, as we all do, and I too have wondered about the meds. When I feel really low, it is not that I just feel really low. There is something I think about that makes me feel really low. It might not be the same thing each time, but there is a thing. And like you, even though I take med, I still thing of something that makes me feel low.

Do some people feel low without feeling low about anything, or is there always something to feel low about? Hmm! It would be interesting to hear if anyone here feels low without there being anything to feel low about.

I think its like the chicken or the eggs thing. Do I feel low because of what i'm obsessing about or am I obsessing about past "wrongs" because i'm feeling low? I haven't figured it out, but as long as I continue to think about the wrongs, I can't pull out of the feelings.
You coop is wonderful, did you build it? Are those solar collectors on the roof of the building in the picture of your chair?

 

[tommysgirl]

I have a friend whose younger sister is going through a tough time and I am going to have her help me with my newest chicks when they get here. They are neighbors so she can be a chicken watcher too. I was happy to see this thread because it confirmed what I know to be true about pets in general and chickens in particular. They are good for your soul and for your mood. So Thank you for posing this question!

 

[hennotrooster]

Yes, they are so fun to watch. Yesterday I went out with my dog for a walk and got about a quarter of a mile down the road when I heard a horn honk and a chicken cluck. Looking back, I saw my little white rooster had followed me down the road and he was just standing there in the middle of the road. Luckily the cars stopped until I got to him to pick him up and carry him home. I never thought a chicken would want to go for a walk!!! Hahaha!!!

Our first 3 had gotten out of the yard and were in front of the house across the street from us to the left my husband comes and tells me that they were out of the yard. I told him to go call them I go out and yelled "Gonzales (the roo) get over here!" My DH said "He isn't going to listen to you like a dog would we have to go get them," you know Gonzales got the 2 girls and came right back across the street. How dumb are chickens? They know who feeds them that is why he came he saw food when seen me.

 

[JohnPeel]

Oh they are smart alright. I can't believe how smart they are. I really hate leaving them now. We were away for two nights and one day and were back this morning. That did the trick for Anne Frank, she was the only one who would go up the ladder to bed, but wouldnt come down on her own.

So the fact that all the others were under the coop in the small run for the day, scratching and digging for the little seeds I left them to search for while we werent here, was enough for her to decide that the days of her hiding in the coop on her own were over. All six were down this morning, and waiting to get out in the garden. Oh, and 10 eggs in 2 days from 6 chooks. They must be happy.

They also now all sleep on one of the beams in the coop, instead of all over the place and even in the nest boxes. So I placed an 8inch wide board underneath the beam where they sleep and all the crap lands on that. I just take the board out in the morning and scrape it off. I seem to be getting some sort of order to it now.

So, what would happen if we introduced a rooster at this stage?

 

[hennotrooster]

Not sure about introducing a roo now but I can tell what mine did when we removed the roo. He became too aggressive and was very possessive of the food, he was fine when it was only him and two hens, when the four new ones started to be out with them is when he changed.

Anyway the hen that was his sidekick, took his place as protector of the flock and started to mount the younger hens while her sister held them in place for her, not a pretty site. She became worse than the roo and the tension in the yard was awful my new hens were always on the run and feeding time was very stressed. We did the separation thing for three days no luck then for a week each time we tried a little longer but she always reclaimed her position as soon as she entered the yard, it was as if she never left. She now has her own section of yard and is for the most part physically separated from the flock she does get out of her area three times a week just so she can be out in the main yard with them and the others do go over to her end of the yard where they visit through the chicken wire without the fear of being attacked. The days that she is out with them she stays pretty much in control of herself as she has figured out she will be put back in her yard if she attacks.

They have there issues and sometimes they do not work them out.