Social hens adopted by Strand Community Hub

Five chicks adopted by The Strand Community Hub in Kirkholt

The Strand Community Hub in Kirkholt has adopted five chicks as part of a project to provide fresh eggs for the soon-to-open Hub café, as well as giving people in the area the chance to interact with the hens (when fully grown) in the garden area.

Primary school groups have already been in to see the chicks and further educational opportunities will be developed as the chicks grow.

Of course, it is not just young children who find the chicks fascinating and the Strand is fast finding out that people of all ages enjoy seeing and holding the chicks.

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) is involved in the project at the Strand as well Independent Living Schemes at Yew Tree Court and Jack McCann Court. 

Social hens can help with dementia by improving social interaction and wellbeing. Having people name them and collect the eggs in the morning strengthens the connection with the natural world and provides added purpose in their lives.

At the Strand the chicks are already taking over the entrance area as people dash to look and, if they wish, hold the chicks. In turn, the chicks create conversation topics that brings people together and gets them interacting with each other.

Once the chicks are used to people and have grown a little more, they will be moved to a spacious garden area where they can begin their egg laying.

RBH Community Partnership Worker Davina Unsworth said: “Social hens are a great idea and we can already see the benefits of having them interact with people. The chicks are well looked after and receive regular animal welfare checks.

“They come from a local farm who specialises in social hens and after a year we will have the option of keeping them or returning them to the farm. Judging by the way people are reacting, my money is on keeping them.”  

The chicks, along with an incubator, hutch, run, food and bedding were donated as part of a community project run by Crossroads Together and funded by the Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).