Hens helping humans

At Hen Central, we’re used to humans helping hens. Whether it’s our amazing volunteers, those who generously give donations or the wonderful people who adopt hens and give them loving homes.

But we’re increasingly aware of the ways in which hens also help humans. The positive impact they have on our lives, the ways they benefit our general wellbeing and how they can bring people together. And this is going to be a focus for the BHWT in the future. Here, we share four tales of how our adopted hens are helping people in communities up and down the country…

Bringing neighbours together

Behind a crescent of houses in Bristol city centre, there is a little spot of green and pleasant land – a community garden for neighbours to enjoy. Since 2020, it has also been enjoyed by a flock of adopted hens who now live there in a coop nicknamed Cluckingham Palace.

The neighbours including builders, firefighters, surveyors, students, medics, and retirees, helped to build the palace and now take it in turns to look after 18 lucky girls and Ronnie the cockerel.

One of the residents, Ben Garrod, a Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement at the University of East Anglia, told us about the impact of the hens.

“It was a way to bring a community together at a time when we needed to be physically distanced but not necessarily socially distanced,” said Ben. “Setting up the project allowed different households to contribute in different ways.

“Everyone who wanted to take part could. Now, we have a rota where a different household takes a morning or evening shift (or two if you're especially keen) and you're in charge for that session

“It works really well, and I think that’s the secret – it’s not too much work for any one person, and we’ve made it fit around our lives, without any cost to the girls. It’s great to see so many neighbours (of all ages) collecting eggs in the mornings, talking to the hens, mucking them out and generally just interacting in a way that benefits them, as well as the chooks.”

Ben told us what he had learned from the hens, “The thing I’ve taken away most is the opportunity for people to engage with the subject of farming, welfare, egg production and health management. I think all of us have picked up something along the way, because of the direct contact we have with the hens as part of this project.

“We’ve had lots of conversations about why the poultry industry is the way it is, how to manage the health of a population of animals and how we implement appropriate and meaningful types of enrichment.”

Supporting people’s mental health and children with autism

Chickens are at the heart of therapeutic programmes run by the charity Sydenham Garden in South East London.

The Growing Lives project sees adults with ill mental health and children with autism visiting the garden to grow flowers and do other activities, including caring for a flock of 12 adopted hens.

David Lloyd, Growing lives Coordinator, told us that although the chickens often eat the flowers they’re trying to plant in order to sell, they are much-loved and the benefits of having them are clear to see.

“Children from a local school for people with autism visit us several times a week,” he said. “Some are completely non-verbal with humans but will chatter away to the chickens. We have children who can’t make eye contact with humans but they stroke and interact with the chickens in ways they can’t do with humans.

“For the adults with ill health, they provide a therapeutic aspect. People who might be a bit nervous or have trust issues can find it easier to bond with a chicken, and they enjoy nurturing them into happy healthy hens.

“We also do a lot of work with people who aren’t English and asylum seekers, who often come from rural backgrounds. Having chickens at the garden reminds them of home and provides some comfort to them.”

When the charity first adopted the chickens five years ago, David had hoped they would provide a focal point for users of the garden. But he hadn’t realised just how big a part of the community they would become.

David added, “They’re great for providing something to talk about for people new to the project and helping them to settle in. Everyone loves the chickens, people bring them treats and one year, one of our volunteers made them all Christmas presents, they’re very spoilt!

“Having rehomed chickens fits with our ethos; they’re a bit of a metaphor for the work we do here. They’ve had a difficult first part of their life, they’re saved from death, they’re then given a lot of love and nice surroundings, and within months they’re thriving and growing into their potential.”

Helping probation hostel residents to open up

In Nottingham, a probation hostel has welcomed a different type of resident – six adopted hens from the BHWT whose feathery charms are helping to improve the relationships between those who live and work at the hostel.

The flock is part of an Enabling Environment project at Southwell Hostel which already includes gardening, growing vegetables and looking after fish, to help give the residents responsibility and focus.

Adopting the hens was the idea of Pete Lister, Residential Support Officer at the hostel, who has ducks and knows how beneficial caring for birds can be for humans. He said, “I thought as the chickens settle in that eventually we can use them almost as therapy animals. A lot of residents are already talking to them, when they might not want to talk to staff, and the chickens are really good listeners.

“They give the residents something to look after and take responsibility for; they feed them, let them in and out of the coop. They’re also providing a common ground between everybody and helping residents to show empathy, so they’re improving relationships and bringing people together.”

One resident, Henry, agreed that the chickens have helped him to open up. He said, “I enjoy being able to talk to them without feeling judged because my mental health hasn’t been good lately. I will chat to the chickens before talking to anyone else first, but they have helped me to talk more to the staff as well.”

John, a resident who leads the responsibility for caring for the flock, said, “Looking after the chickens helps you to forget what’s going wrong with your life and gives you something to look forward to. It’s nice to go out in the morning to set everything up and feed them, they go crazy whenever we have a treat for them.”

Pete adds, “Since the day we got them, the chickens have had a massive impact. It’s been fantastic for the residents’ wellbeing.

“We wanted to rehome ex-commercial hens because we thought we would be giving them a second chance. A bit like the residents themselves, the chickens have now got a second chance at life.”

Strengthening a church’s bonds in the community

A church in Sutton Coldfield has become a new host site for the BHWT as a way of caring for creation and expanding and strengthening its community.

Driven by the church’s reverend, Chris Dowd, the Wylde Green United Reformed Church became a host site in 2021 as part of wider work they’re doing to enhance and protect the environment.

Rev. Dowd, who recently rehomed four hens from the BHWT, said, “I believe the greatest moral issue within our society is the care of the planet. Working with the BHWT fits incredibly well with the vision we have for our church where inclusion and ecology are the main driving values.

“Animal welfare is all part of creation care. From a faith point of view, we were asked to care for creation, and we can show that kind of care by rehoming these animals and giving them a good life.

“This will also help us to engage with the wider community by showing them that we’re interested in a much bigger view of faith than they may think. This shows people we’re interested in the real world, and we want to play our part by doing practical things that make a difference, as well as talking and praying.

“I’m very happy to be involved in the rehoming days and it’s part of a much wider vision of caring for creation and talking about the things that really matter to people.”

The hen host site is part of a project to revitalise a field at the back of the church. The Reverend and his flock (of humans) have also planted native plants around the church to attract pollinators, use green energy where possible and been awarded a Bronze Eco Church Award.

While he admits that some of his parishioners were a little puzzled at first by his idea to become a host site, Rev. Dowd says they soon jumped on board and the plans were unanimously approved by the board.

Money towards the site was even raised by local people through a service at the church for pets, which was also attended by dogs, cats and a stick insect or two.