I've almost finished my first chicken jacket - just need to find a large button and then I will have the fun part, trying to actually put it on one of my rescued ex-battery hens. That will be fun.
I know they will look pretty stupid, but as the charity www.littlehenrescue.co.uk recommends the knitted jackets then who am I to argue with them.
Its the weirdest looking piece of knitting, but hopefully it will work to keep one of them warm. Mum is knitting jackets for the other two girls (she is a much faster knitter than me).
Here is a picture from the local newspaper which shows some ladies modelling their jackets. www.eveningnews24.co.uk
The ladies have been running loose around the garden when its been dry enough, but as my existing three ladies tend to bully them still, I have to keep an eye on them. Its like being on playground duty to make sure they all "play nicely". I have had a couple of good eggs, but they still seem to peck and break their eggs unless I get to them quick enough which is a pain.
One of the new ladies decided to take up residence in the shed when I left the door open. I thought she would lay, but was just taking a rest!
I know they will look pretty stupid, but as the charity www.littlehenrescue.co.uk recommends the knitted jackets then who am I to argue with them.
Its the weirdest looking piece of knitting, but hopefully it will work to keep one of them warm. Mum is knitting jackets for the other two girls (she is a much faster knitter than me).
Here is a picture from the local newspaper which shows some ladies modelling their jackets. www.eveningnews24.co.uk
The ladies have been running loose around the garden when its been dry enough, but as my existing three ladies tend to bully them still, I have to keep an eye on them. Its like being on playground duty to make sure they all "play nicely". I have had a couple of good eggs, but they still seem to peck and break their eggs unless I get to them quick enough which is a pain.
One of the new ladies decided to take up residence in the shed when I left the door open. I thought she would lay, but was just taking a rest!
5 comments:
What fun! Make sure you post a pic of the sweater on a chicken!
Is your first chicken jacket made of wool, acrylic or cotton? Are there any preferences stated?
I haven't been able to find any reference to which is preferred on the website. But it could be that I just didn't see it.
Congrats on your first one!
Happy knitting to both you and your Mum,
Janey
Love the idea of chicken sweaters! When I raised chickens a zillion years ago, sometimes hens would peck their own eggs for 2 reasons: stress and the need for calcium (in the shells). They just need time to relax in your tender hands for the stress to let up. Add some calcium to their feed to alleviate that problem. Hope it helps! You are being so kind to those chickens. -- Bjo
Thanks for all your comments. The jackets are almost ready - just have to work out how to actually put them on...
They are settling down, having a few hours running outside each day, and eating everything, including an oystershell/grit mix so hopefully the eggs will sort themselves soon.
That's really great that you took these chickens in. They look so much better already. The jackets are adorable!
Post a Comment