Understanding the chicken yoga experience

First, let's clarify and reassure that classes are not conducted in chicken coops. Sessions take place in pleasant environments, sometimes in open spaces or rural studios with small groups of silky chickens – a special breed that's small and soft, often resembling chicks, characterized by quiet and friendly temperaments.

Participants begin with gentle "meet and greet" sessions, holding small cups containing seeds while inviting chickens to approach and feel comfortable nearby, sometimes even allowing them to settle on arms or knees (though never on heads, something instructors emphasize strongly). All chickens wear tiny diapers to prevent "accidents" and unnecessary mess.

Following brief introductions, participants transition into familiar yoga practice – breathing exercises, stretching, and entering various poses while chickens move freely around the space. When chickens choose to sit beside participants, these moments create unique, intimate connections that enhance enjoyment and relaxation. Their clucking and cooing presence generates feelings of non-judgmental community, where everyone can simply exist without explanations or judgments. This fusion between traditional body movement and natural presence fills classes with distinctive feelings of lightness and release.

The science behind the benefits

Yoga has been proven through numerous studies to provide significant benefits – improving flexibility, balance, and posture, reducing blood pressure in hypertensive groups, lowering blood sugar levels, contributing to pain relief, and naturally reducing stress and anxiety.

Adding chickens to practice, one of the most intriguing characteristics of this phenomenon, amplifies these effects. Research in human-animal interaction fields indicates that animal presence reduces stress hormones like cortisol, enhances serotonin secretion ("the happiness hormone"), decreases loneliness, and strengthens community belonging. Chickens serve special roles – they are social animals with basic intelligence who create unique atmospheres that remain quiet yet vibrant with life. Currently, hundreds of classes operate throughout the US and Britain with increasing demand, particularly among those seeking to diversify classical yoga worlds and add emotional dimensions that connect to nature.

Suitability and precautions

Despite the beauty of these connections, practicing with chickens is not appropriate for everyone. People with sensitivities, allergies, or bird phobias definitely cannot benefit and may suffer during sessions.

Additionally, it's important to remember these are living animals, and exposure and interaction require patience and sensitivity. Some experts note that chickens, being empathetic creatures, may be harmed by intense interactions with stressed or sad people, as studies conducted in France have demonstrated. Therefore, maintaining chicken welfare presents constant challenges accompanying this phenomenon, with diaper usage intended for hygiene maintenance raising questions about animal welfare and whether human comfort is truly prioritized over bird well-being.

Beyond animal welfare concerns, chicken yoga remains far from replacing deep traditional yoga or professional psychological treatments and is more suitable as an integrative experience aimed primarily at instilling calm and innovation.

The bottom line is, if you're seeking new and slightly unconventional ways to connect with your body and nature, combining meditation with movement and adding touches of life (literally) to yoga atmospheres, this represents one trend worth understanding – the question remains who will embrace this challenge here in Israel.

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The Agriculture Ministry is worried that chicken coops where bird flu has been identified could infect residents of nearby communities, the ministry reported Saturday.

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An outbreak of the bird flu was also found at a farm in the southern Golan Heights containing roughly 17,000 turkeys, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The ministry's veterinary services placed the farm under quarantine.

"We are in a war against a virus that may not be visible but is deadly to birds and can be contagious to humans as well," said Agriculture Minister Oded Forer.

"Although cases of infection in humans are rare, they are extremely fatal, with about 50% mortality in humans who have been infected with the disease," Forer said.

In addition to the risk of the bird flu being transmitted to humans, the country could also face a major egg shortage as infected laying hens are destroyed.

Forer has issued instructions to prevent the outbreak from spreading, and to lift quotas on the import of eggs.

On Thursday, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority reported that one in five wild cranes living or migrating through Israel are infected with bird flu.

So far, about 100 birds have died in the outbreak, according to The Jerusalem Post. Authorities expect to remove 25 to 30 tons of carcasses, The Times of Israel reported.

Some 100,000 cranes visit northern Israel's Hula Valley annually. Many stay in the country until early March, then they fly north to nest.

Inspectors are sweeping the Hula Valley for evidence of the virus and searching water bodies in neighboring valleys.

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Soos Technology, an Israeli agro-tech startup that has developed AI-driven software to change the sexes of chickens, resulting in more females for laying, has been declared the $1 million grand prize winner of Round 2 of the Grow-NY global food and agriculture business competition.

Soos' patented technology mitigates the controversial practice of male-chick culling by transforming male chickens into egg-laying females using high-tech soundwaves and vibration – a noninvasive and nonchemical solution.

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Yael Alter, CEO of Soos Technology said, "With our Grow-NY prize money, we plan to create over twenty high-paying research and engineering jobs in the next two years, by building the NY Poultry Research Hub, which will connect academic research with poultry startups and corporates, to commercialize validated research. We are thrilled to put down roots in the Grow-NY region."

Over 260 applicants entered this year's Grow-NY competition. The top 20 finalists submitted their pitches virtually, due to the COVID pandemic.

"I want to congratulate all the companies that took place in the second round of our Grow-NY Competition," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

"The innovations these companies have helped drive are creating a lasting economic impact on New York's agribusiness as we continue our work to build our economy back better. The Grow-NY targeted investment will not only help these companies continue to innovate, but will further support New York state's regional economies by drawing even more worldwide attention to our globally renowned food and agriculture industry."

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