Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Blackrocksrock]

One of my girls is moulting again - she did it last year in the snow but its very cold again here too and she is so oven ready its unreal - the last tail feather came out yesterday - she did look funny with just one left but can honestly say she looks like a battery hen!!. The egu inside and garden are covered in feathers bless her.

[eggregiousness]

Poor, chilly chicky! I will get my knitting needles out and do a nice little purple stripey number .

[Ms Tilytinkle]

Ahem ahem, I did request a jumper earlier in the year on another post. 2 of mine are just moulting all of the time. Waxed under carriage & I'm so concerned about the cold. Their skin looks fine - not sore just bald!!! I dont mind what colour or pattern Fees will be exchanged if youre not koking I serioulsy need 2 chook jumpers

 

Ms Tillyisworkingawayfromhomefor3weekssoon,willleavehubby&teenagerinchargeofchickens!!

[jimnpaula]

I've got 6 chicken jumpers, (I did have 6 chicken jumpers, little miss Dinky ferret has just stolen one! I will retrieve it from behind the sofa in a minute.)

 

PM me if you want one! If I run out I'm sure Mum will knit more.

 

Edit: Colour choices are; solid lavender, solid sage green, solid jade green, sage green with red shoulders, sage green with lavender shoulders, and an in-between shade of green to those mentioned with hot pink shoulders. I do have another one at Mum & Dads, but I don't know what colour it is.

 

P

Edited October 18, 2009 by Guest

[eggregiousness]

Found this pattern:

 

 

Laughing Hens Pattern

Battery Chicken Jacket

 

Basic Chux Tux

 

Abbreviations:

k: knit

p: purl

k2tog: knit two stitches together

tbl: through back of loop

st: stitch

rt: right

 

Use up your odds and ends of wool. It probably takes about one ball in total and about six hours to knit

Using size 3.25mm-4mm needles and double knitting wool.

Cast on 100 stitches.

 

Work 20 rows k1p1 rib.

Start decreasing, right side of work is facing you.

Keep the continuity of the rib pattern throughout.

 

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib26, k2togtbl, rib31, k2tog, rib27, k2tog, rib4 (96st)

3 rows rib maintaining pattern.

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib25, k2togtbl, rib29, k2tog, rib26, k2tog, rib4 (92st)

3 rows rib

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib24, k2togtbl, rib27, k2tog, rib25, k2tog, rib4 (88st)

3 rows rib

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib23, k2togtbl, rib25, k2tog, rib24, k2tog, rib4 (84st)

3 rows rib

 

Continue decreasing but only in the centre of the work

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib23, k2tog, rib29 (82st)

3 rows rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib21, k2tog, rib29 (80st)

3 rows rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib19, k2tog, rib29 (78st)

1 row rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib17, k2tog, rib29 (76st)

1row rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib15, k2tog, rib29 (74st)

1 row rib

Continue decreasing like this until:

Rib 28, k2tog tbl, p1, k2tog, rib29 (60st)

1 row rib

Rib28, slip next st onto rt needle k2tog, pass slipped st back over to cast it off, rib29,

(58st)

Continue without further shaping, k1p1 rib for 15 rows

Cast off loosely, in rib, in slightly smaller needles if possible.

 

 

Adjustable neck fastening.

Cast on 11sts

k1p1 moss stitch for 5 rows

 

6th row (working button hole)

work 6 st in moss st, cast off the last st worked (on the rt needle slip the 5th st worked over the 6th st)

work 1 st from left needle, pass the 5th st over the 6th st as before

work 1 st from left needle, pass the 5th st over the 6th st

moss st 3 remaining st.

(4st, gap for button hole, 4st)

 

7th row

moss st 3 st

next st, work into front but do not cast off needle, pass wool to back of work, and make second st into

the back, do not cast off, bring wool to front, and work third st into front, do not cast off, wool to

back, work fourth st into back of original st.

 

With 7 st on rt needle now release it from the left needle

work remaining 4 st from left needle in moss st (11st)

 

k1p1 moss st for 5 rows

repeat 6th row

repeat 7th row

k1p1 moss st for 5 rows

repeat 6th row

repeat 7th row

k1 p1 moss st for 2 rows

next row k2tog tbl, moss st 7, k2tog (9st)

next row k2tog tbl, moss st 5, k2tog (7st)

cast off in moss st

 

To make up

The wide end of the body shape is the tail end, the narrower end is the head end.

On main body of Chux Tux, sew together the first 20 rows of rib (at the wider end of the shape) only, to form a short tube, but leave open the rest of the garment.

Attach the cast on edge of the neck fastening to the side of the tux at the top.

Sew a button on the other side.

 

 

Deluxe Chux Tux

Make the basic Chux Tux and add the "Warming Flap".

 

Warming Flap

Cast on 25 st.

k1 p1 moss stitch, until work measures 14 cm

Next row, keeping continuity of moss st pattern

moss st 4, k2tog tbl, moss st to last 6 st , k2tog, moss st to end (23st)

next row, moss st

continue decreasing in this way (one decrease row, one moss st row) until 11 st remain

next two rows moss st

now work 6th and 7th row of adjustable neck fastening

moss st 5 rows

work 6th and 7th row of adjustable neck fastening

moss st 5 rows

cast off in moss st

 

To make up

Sew bottom (cast on edge) of Warming Flap to the cast on edge of the Tux placing

it centerally over the short back seam.

 

The Warming Flap adjusts and does up using the same

button that secures the neck fastening.

 

Fitting Instructions

 

These are fitting instructions from Brigitte who designed the jacket:

 

One person holds the chicken at ground level,with both hands wrapped around her body restraining her wings. The second person faces the chicken and gathers the Tux up (as if it were a sock or a leg of a pair of tights) and puts the Chux-Tux over the chicken's head and over the first person's hands, so that it is well down her body but in front of her legs. The first person, with the second person's assistance, then gently manoeuvres one wing at a time, though the opening so that both wings are outside the Tux. It is very important that whilst you are handling the chicken's wings and she feels your grip loosen to free the wing, that she does not flap and try to escape at this point, as she would easily be injured.

 

Once the wings are out, the second person adjusts the fastening to a comfortable fit. Carefully release the chicken. and observe her to make sure all is well. To take the Tux off, simply undo the button and slide the Tux off the back of the chicken, so as not to ruffle her feathers, making sure that her legs are not caught in the garment. Again, this is best done by two people.

 

I think that if the 'Chux-Tux' is used as soon as the chicken is rescued, she may get used to it. Queenie did not enjoy her new look and her companions were also alarmed. Although my design has exceeded my expectations I have taken it off Queenie and I keep all the chickens warm with the infra red lamp, she is clever enough to stay in the shed most of the time and only ventures out for short periods. Mo, one of her companions, had even fewer feathers than Queenie, when they arrived, and now you would not recognise her , she looks almost normal, so I am sure that Queenie will be fine very shortly.

 

After I had knitted the Basic Chux Tux I understood how the design could be adapted to produce the 'Deluxe Chux Tux' with the added back warming feature . A few of the rescued battery chickens have very few feathers indeed and are unkindly referred to as 'oven readies', they seem to have left only the larger flight feathers on the wings and a few stubbly tail feathers so as well as having a bare chest and bottom they also have a bare back and they dither and shiver in the cold, wearing what is left of their wings curled around their poor scrawny bodies. These chickens need the extra protection of the Deluxe version. When fitting the Deluxe version, simply button the Warming Flap down after the wings have been eased out, using the same button that holds the neck fastening. At first sight, the Warming Flap may appear too short but when in place, it adapts to the shape of the chicken's back.

Not sure how it would go down with the wearer?

[jimnpaula]

Mine are this knitted design

 

P

[eggregiousness]

Mine are this knitted design

 

P

 

I like that one! There was no pic for the pattern I found and I'm not good enough at knitting to be able to visualise what it would look like The Little Hen one looks cosy though!

[Blackrocksrock]

They look brilliant - My girl hopefully will feather up quickly!! - I cannot see me putting on a jumper on her at all - since she started moulting she wont let me touch her at all! - Possibly they are sore with the new feathers coming in.

She is my best layer too!

[jimnpaula]

Whoopsie and I tried putting a jumper on Ruby, my smallest most threadbare one, during this last week. After catching her the jumper went on ok although it was a bit big. We tried tightening up the straps and then left her to it. Her tail went down, she hunched up and she looked thoroughly miserable. She appeared a lot happier when we took it off again.

 

So at the moment I won't be putting jumpers on them unless it really snows in the next few weeks.

 

P

[Chook n Boo Mum]

My 4 batties arrived just as the snow arrived last winter and were really quite oven ready, they all managed to survive happily without jackets...I think the jackets make us feel better rather than the chooks to be honest

 

Mine stayed in their covered eglu run, surrounded by windbreaks and extra protection until the weather warmed up & their feathers had grown, I'm not mean enough to shove them outside unprotected

 

Sha x

[Redwing]

If I remember correctly the BHWT recommends that you dont put jumpers or jackets on any hens

[Ms Tilytinkle]

As long as theyre warm enough I would much prefer not to put anything on theire balb bits as the rest of their feathers are wonderful.

 

We think the bald bits are die to Omlet cubs sleeping arrangements!! I'm sure its because they huddle & stack as opposed to roost in a line on a tree trunk. We're thinking or removing some of the rungs so they can roost naturally. Does any else think it could be the roosting bars rubbing on the bottom of the stack chicken

 

Ms TillythinkswelldoneJensonButton

[ubereglu]

Hens are fine without jumpers. It's actually better if they don't, as moulting is a natural process. Instead, if you have recently acquired battery hens it's better to keep them somewhere warm, but with other hens they really don't need it as they'll find the warmest parts of the garden and snuggle up together at night.

[TAJ]

Without the jumpers they can naturally shed feathers and new pin feathers can come through without being damaged - they can also then still preen themselves. I have had girls moult in Dec/Jan in snow/frost fine. I would recommend a protein boost (e.g. chick crumb or growers rations) to give them a helping hand, plus some Battles poultry drink.

 

Tracy