Made my first Chicken Sweater Tonight... Photos and my free pattern

[green egg]

I am making a sweater or two to have on hand. I am not sure if I will use them or not. I think they might be handy to have as part of the first aid kit. I am thinking in really cold weather, they might do more harm than good due to not being able to fluff feathers up. I would like to know if anyone has had good luck with them in cold climates where it can get 13 below like mine. Perhaps in spring and fall they could have more use.

I have a couple of hens being pecked at the base of the tail and the spots are getting slowly bigger. Where I live, we are supposed to get 8 below tonight. I have tried separating, and removing hens, upping protein, putting the icky blue stuff on, and nothing has worked. When I remove the offending hen, then another one will start pecking. So I will be bringing the pecked girls in to a cold porch and putting them in a large dog crate- just letting them out in the day if it is warm enough until it warms up here. Just try to keep them alive until spring comes. There are only two being targeted right now. Next I might try pine tar. I wonder if the sweaters might at least protect them from pecking when this goes on for a time. They might pull at the sweaters. I think my hens are bored in this long winter.

If I can get them to spring, then I can think of some longer term remedies. Me and the hens are in survival mode with all the storms here in Maine over the past weeks.
Regardless, the sweaters are fun to make.

 

[ivynurse2003]

That is so great, thank you so much for making the pattern available. I have seen the sweaters but have not had the pattern. My girls will be getting some sweaters soon.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I am making a sweater or two to have on hand. I am not sure if I will use them or not. I think they might be handy to have as part of the first aid kit. I am thinking in really cold weather, they might do more harm than good due to not being able to fluff feathers up. I would like to know if anyone has had good luck with them in cold climates where it can get 13 below like mine. Perhaps in spring and fall they could have more use.

I have a couple of hens being pecked at the base of the tail and the spots are getting slowly bigger. Where I live, we are supposed to get 8 below tonight. I have tried separating, and removing hens, upping protein, putting the icky blue stuff on, and nothing has worked. When I remove the offending hen, then another one will start pecking. So I will be bringing the pecked girls in to a cold porch and putting them in a large dog crate- just letting them out in the day if it is warm enough until it warms up here. Just try to keep them alive until spring comes. There are only two being targeted right now. Next I might try pine tar. I wonder if the sweaters might at least protect them from pecking when this goes on for a time. They might pull at the sweaters. I think my hens are bored in this long winter.

If I can get them to spring, then I can think of some longer term remedies. Me and the hens are in survival mode with all the storms here in Maine over the past weeks.
Regardless, the sweaters are fun to make.

Welcome to the forum. The sweaters might be worth a try considering the Blu Kote did not work. The only time I put a sweater on a chicken was when one hen had a late molt that lasted into winter. I made it out of fleece because I don't knit. I tried pine tar once, before building a bachelor coop for the extra roosters. Pine tar is really messy.

 

[kada6305]

so.. I am following this pattern (post #1) and I am new to Crochet. I am confused on Row 7. So after I DC 6 stitches and I make a chain of 6 I am confused as to how to make the wing opening? seems like I;ve been trying ot figure out this step for an hour! no matter how I do it the opening in NOT 6 inches long?! Maybe a picture of what that line is supposed to looks like when done?

 

[wilmascluckmom]

I thought that was so cool. I wish that I would have thought of that a couple years ago. I had a Scarlet Macaw that was feather plucked she was a rescue. I had bought a dog dress and modified it for her wings. This would have worked much better. I love the look black and red always looks soo good together.

 

[green egg]

Thanks for the pine tar advise. I talked to another chicken person who said the same and that they will just find a new spot to peck anyway.
I have hung a light in my coop now so it is warm inside at least for the rest of this year.
Spring is just a few weeks away now

I will have the sweaters for next winter just in case.
My friends all say, dress em up, take photos, and then put them away to save.
I won't take the chance to have them get injured unless I have a reason to leave them on.

 

[kada6305]

We finally were able to make one after a few adjustments

Belle our silkie/Red sexlink mix modeling the sweater She doesn't have any tail feathers so I didn't do the increases.

 

[green egg]

Sweaters are so cute!

 

[he he]

Omg I made one and then when I but it on the chicken it would not stop pecking me. it really hurt help me please

this was literally what I was doing
thanks for reading

 

[Sparkling]

I am making a sweater or two to have on hand. I am not sure if I will use them or not. I think they might be handy to have as part of the first aid kit. I am thinking in really cold weather, they might do more harm than good due to not being able to fluff feathers up. I would like to know if anyone has had good luck with them in cold climates where it can get 13 below like mine. Perhaps in spring and fall they could have more use.

I have a couple of hens being pecked at the base of the tail and the spots are getting slowly bigger. Where I live, we are supposed to get 8 below tonight. I have tried separating, and removing hens, upping protein, putting the icky blue stuff on, and nothing has worked. When I remove the offending hen, then another one will start pecking. So I will be bringing the pecked girls in to a cold porch and putting them in a large dog crate- just letting them out in the day if it is warm enough until it warms up here. Just try to keep them alive until spring comes. There are only two being targeted right now. Next I might try pine tar. I wonder if the sweaters might at least protect them from pecking when this goes on for a time. They might pull at the sweaters. I think my hens are bored in this long winter.

If I can get them to spring, then I can think of some longer term remedies. Me and the hens are in survival mode with all the storms here in Maine over the past weeks.
Regardless, the sweaters are fun to make.

I had two of my chickens get attacked by a predator. We found a baby tshirt for the rooster to cover his exposed back where he has no feathers, but haven't found anything to fit the little pullet. A couple friends are going to try to make them sweaters. I really hope it works because their wounds are pretty bad! No feathers on their back, and the little pullet is missing feathers and skin on her wing. I don't want them being pecked to death by the rest of the flock, and it's cold here they need something to help them stay warm until their feathers grow back.