It may come as a surprise to some readers that chickens are increasingly being recognised for their therapeutic benefits. No one ever gets tired of watching our flock of crazy girls outside the Farm Shop. We are so grateful to our TAFE Program delegates for all the hours of work they put into building such a safe and comfy coop last year. The benefits are unmistakable and abundant. So much more than just a magnet for all the happy young children who visit the Farm Shop, the chooks provide a regular sense of purpose, responsibility and amusement to those of our Warrah Society participants tasked with letting them in and out of their fox-proof haven, cleaning the coop, collecting eggs and providing feed. The list of the benefits just keeps growing though:

• apart from the obvious egg production,
• they process scraps from the shop,
• spread delight with their enthusiastic dash to greet visitors and their habit of perching in the tree,
• the calming effect they have on those observing their quirky determination to forage and dust bathe,
• the encouraging sounds of their clucking throughout the day,
• the comfort of having a cuddle,
• the empowerment that comes from taking responsibility for their care.

Next time you visit the Farm Shop, be sure to pause at the coop for a moment to give yourself a dose of their goodness.