How did I not know before about the world of knitting for chickens?
You wouldn’t think chickens and jumpers naturally went together, but when they’re ex-battery hens, which generally arrive in a terrible state and missing a good many feathers, they take to them surprisingly well. Particularly in the winter when it’s freezing cold and they find themselves strutting around like a freshly-plucked roast.
Now I’m not a knitter myself. Learning properly is on the list of things to do, and I think I’ll start with something easy like a scarf. From what I can make out on the instructions published by Little Hen Rescue, though, it’s a bit like knitting an elongated tea cosy. Little Hen takes in battery hens for rehoming, and has been asking visitors to knit and send in jumpers for their residents. The patterns are impressive, with adjustable neck fastenings and, for expert knitters, a more advanced design that they call the Deluxe Chux Tux.
Farming Today ran a story on Friday about a group from the Womens’ Institute that took in five ex-battery hens, kept them in a greenhouse on their allotments and knitted them some jumpers when the new year weather was bad and it dropped to eight degrees below zero. The chooks liked them so much they started laying eggs again.
The local paper, too, was impressed with Little Hen Rescue’s efforts and ran a story, and posted the above video of the chuffed chooks in their snazzy pulls.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m taking part in a big hen rescue (by http://www.henrehomers.net )tomorrow 24th January where 2200 hens are being given their freedom. I have finished making 5 jumpers ready for the hens I will be rehoming. Even Vogue Knitting is interested in these jumpers now! I’ll only be clipping 780 claws tomorrow as they go out to their new owners…lol!!
Clipping claws, eh? I didn’t know you could do that with chickens. We have kept one wing clipped on each of our chickens, but we didn’t do anything with the claws. I had thought they would have been naturally worn down by all that scratching they like to do.
is there anyone out there who can help me with w knitted jumper patterns for chickens thanks
Nik, if they are battery hens, they have been kept in cages and not allowed out to scratch and be normal hens. They are usually kept in horrible cramped conditions.
Yes. Battery hen farming is pretty nasty, isn’t it. It’s no wonder that any birds that are re-homed at the end of the process look rather weak and featherless.