Hen saver saddle

[shannon84]

Hi I bought a size large hen saver saddle for my new hampshire red hen. She's on the small size for her breed.... So I'm wondering why it's so hard to get on her. Is the strapped supposed to be so tight. I'm scared I'll break her wing. I don't know how much you can move a wing around without hurting it. Anyone else have this issue with the hen saver saddle?

 

[azygous]

Saddles you buy are not going to fit every chicken. Just as with people, hens come in different sizes and shapes. They are far from being uniformly constructed.

Chances are you have a hen that is slightly different in her wing and body width. Since I can't see your hen or the saddle you've selected for her, I can't advise how to make the saddle fit her. But you are correct in your concern that it's not a good idea to force her wings to conform to the saddle.

Before you send it back for a refund, you might ask a friend or relative who sews to measure your hen and copy the saddle pattern and sew you a custom saddle to properly fit your hen. They are very easy to make.

 

[shannon84]

Saddles you buy are not going to fit every chicken. Just as with people, hens come in different sizes and shapes. They are far from being uniformly constructed.

Chances are you have a hen that is slightly different in her wing and body width. Since I can't see your hen or the saddle you've selected for her, I can't advise how to make the saddle fit her.  But you are correct in your concern that it's not a good idea to force her wings to conform to the saddle.

Before you send it back for a refund, you might ask a friend or relative who sews to measure your hen and copy the saddle pattern and sew you a custom saddle to properly fit your hen. They are very easy to make.

hi, and thank you for the response. I'm new with chickens and green as can be with them. I was hoping that it would be a perfect fit because they lady that sold it said she would probably take a large, now that I see she was probably just wanting to make a sale ugh silly me

but my mom thinks she can make her one but she's never made anything like that in her life so it should be interesting. Yeah I was concerned because it just seemed way to small it scared me to even attempt it. So it sounds like making one is my best bet then. Do you use saddles on your hens? Thanks again!

 

[azygous]

I have used saddles on my hens in the past. I sewed them myself and had all sizes from very small to huge. It involved a lot of trial and error because the biggest problem with a good saddle is to make one with fasteners that the hen can't undo and shed. Usually Velcro fasteners under the wings and over the shoulders work best, but I had a hen who was a regular Houdini and she got out of any saddle I made. I gave up.

There are a lot of free patterns on the internet if you do a search. Some are simple one-piece affairs that require no sewing at all.

 

[shannon84]

I have used saddles on my hens in the past. I sewed them myself and had all sizes from very small to huge. It involved a lot of trial and error because the biggest problem with a good saddle is to make one with fasteners that the hen can't undo and shed. Usually Velcro fasteners under the wings and over the shoulders work best, but I had a hen who was a regular Houdini and she got out of any saddle I made. I gave up.

There are a lot of free patterns on the internet if you do a search. Some are simple one-piece affairs that require no sewing at all.

cool! Thank you so much! Oh we was wondering about Velcro vs buttons? So sounds like Velcro is the way to go then! I'm excited about this now. Does it need to be a heavy duty material like a Jean type material?

 

[azygous]

Yes, heavy material will lie flat and not flap up in a breeze or when a hen is very active. I make my saddles using double layers of material and I save old jeans and overalls for that reason. If all I have is thinner material, I triple the layers.