Last year I set myself a challenge, to face my Ornithophobia - Fear of birds

Here is a fun artist interpretation of the beast.

I have recently learned that chicken phobia has it's very own classification -

Alektorophobia. Yep that's how scary chickens are, they get their very own fowl phobia label.

Well I held two chickens. They weren't huge, one was a hatchling and the other 2 weeks old, BUT I DID IT!

I wanted to post a whole lot more on the subject of phobias, and trauma and why I am setting myself tasks this year in support of a foundation called Bravehearts, but I have been unwell lately, and typing for even a short amount of time is painful and exhausting. So I will keep this one short, and post another time about these things.

Even this otherwise beautiful image was taken in the context of the anxious task of free range egg collecting. Objectively I know it is not a life threatening situation, but phobias override rational thinking. I also collected many feathers while I was on the farm. Simply picking up a feather used to be incredibly frightening, I'm happy to say, I have made great improvements regarding feathers and am even in the process of creating art with them.

Here is the proof that I faced the beast and lived to tell the tale.

...and here is a more honest representation of the encounters.

I also held snakes and swam with sharks and stingrays on that trip, but those things are not slightly as noteworthy when compared to the horrors of a chicken encounter.

I have to thank Callum from Kookaburra FarmStay in NSW Australia for helping me face my fears. I couldn't have done it without his kindness and understanding.

Chicken Challenge - I did it!