When Kris Munster noticed her chickens calmed her anxiety, she decided to start a unique foundation to share the magic of her ‘healing hens’ with those who need it most! Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World.

Drawing in a deep breath with the warmth of the sun on her face, 39-year-old Kris Munster felt a smile spread across her lips as she sat outdoors with her three new chickens. She’d wanted Silkies—a breed known for their fluffy feathers, beautiful colors and pleasing temperament—for more than a decade, but living in the city quashed that dream. Now, married and living on a ranch in Cumby, Texas, Kris was battling anxiety, isolation and depression. Wanting to help her adjust to her new life, her husband bought a chicken coop and her first three Silkies so she’d have companionship.

Almost immediately, Kris began to notice that simply watching the chickens move, peck and preen themselves, while stroking their silky-soft feathers, eased her worry and loneliness like nothing else could. Excited, she went back to where her husband got the chickens and purchased three more.

She would play music while in the coop with her Silkies, spending an hour or more petting them and feeling her mood and spirit lift.

It’s miraculous how much being outdoors and spending time with the chickens truly heals me, she thought. Wouldn’t it be amazing to somehow share this with others?

In that moment, her heart kicked up a beat and she knew she had to make it happen.

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Portable happiness

Kris began joining online chicken groups, eager to learn how to train her hens to become therapy animals. The idea tugged at her heart, and before long, she took the leap to start a nonprofit in 2023. By the fall of 2024, after months of planning and a sold-out fundraiser that showed just how much her community believed in her dream, Healing Hens was born.

It didn’t take long for word to spread. Soon, Kris got a call from Signature Pointe Senior Living Center in Dallas, which was preparing to open a location in her town. They wanted to welcome her hens into their community to bring comfort and joy to the residents as they settled in.

Kris chose three of her Silkies — Pancake, Donut and Croissant — to reside full-time in a coop they placed in the center’s courtyard. The chickens adapted happily to their new environment, loving their daily walks, greeting residents and chirping when visitors would sit on a bench and admire them in their coop. Staff and volunteers were authorized to help maintain daily care and feeding of the hens and did so gladly, knowing this program would bring calm and comfort to those in need, especially those in short-term rehab striving to recover and finally go home.

There is also a stroller for the chickens to bring them inside to visit residents with mobility issues who beam with joy simply petting and cuddling the fluffy birds.

One resident commented, “I love them! I visit them every day because they make me smile. I could watch them for hours.”

Even the Signature Pointe staff are inspired by the chickens. “They remind me to slow down and enjoy the simple things that surrounds us,” one worker said, making Kris’ heart overflow with pride.

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A new calling

Wanting to give more people the opportunity to interact with her chickens, Kris began doing day visits with other folks in the area. One woman thanked Kris after her visit, saying, “Being with the chickens was the very best gift I received this year.” Other visitors shared that they really needed the cheer and companionship the chickens provided.

With Healing Hens making such an impact over the last year, Kris set up an Instagram (@HealingHensOfTexas) and a website at HealingHensOfTX.org, where people can donate, shop their Amazon wish list and find ways to get involved to help the chickens continue bringing peace and happiness to hearts.

Now, with 24 chickens on her ranch and with plans to expand, Kris is still amazed that she gets to spread joy to others through the chickens that mean so much to her.

“Sharing the hens with others has been very rewarding and joyful for me,” Kris says with a smile, her heart overflowing with gratitude. “I have enjoyed seeing people who might not often encounter chickens bask in their glory and look forward to their time with them. Slowing down, spending time outside and being around people and animals is so important. It can do incredible things for your sense of wellbeing and I hope that even more people can experience that feeling!”