Warm winter hats for Roosters

[grnidone]

I made my roosters winter hats.

Yes. I can already hear it. “They don’t need hats or heat, I live at the South Pole and my chickens live with penguins and never need heat or hats.

I’m doing this for me.

It makes me feel better when their heads are warm.

Also. It makes me laugh. (I’m mostly doing it for this reason.)

it’s basically a 5 inch by 5 inch square of fleece folded in half and sewn on 3 sides with a hole for the base. I use a dot of liquid bandage to stick it on.

I once had a rooster who got blisters the size of nickels from the cold. I am not living through that guilt again. In addition to a coop with more ventilation, I make hats.

 

[roosterhavoc]

 

[grnidone]

How long have they had these on?
Do you take them off occasionally to check things out under there?

I only leave them on when it is brutal. (Wind chill factor in teens or when it is wet and cold.)

Usually, no more than a week, then I check them, wash the hats and reapply if necessary.

 

[grnidone]

How do you remove the adhesive?
Does it drive them nuts to have the 'hat' on.....probably some more than others.

For about 20 seconds, they fiddle with it and shake their heads. But after that,they forget it’s on.

Ive learned if I use any other color than red, they hate it and the hens will peck at it. So, the color actually matters.

A gentle tug and the adhesive comes off.

 

[grnidone]

Make some with designs! Red is to simple. They need polka dots and stripes.

NO. If it isn’t red, the others peck at it because it looks foreign. Also, they fight to get it off if it is not red.

 

[grnidone]

@grnidone , how are the hats working?

I’m sorry, I just saw this post.

Temps here are up and down, and I only employ these when the weather is really cold, windy and wet. I usually keep them on for a week and then give them a break. It’s been really dry this year, so they haven’t worn them as long as they usually do.

I am thinking about refining my design to include something to cover their wattles and not need glue to keep them on. It’s a work in progress.

 

[HuffleClaw]

That’s the cutest thing ever! I’m sure it keeps their combs nice and cozy!

 

[grnidone]

Does the liquid bandage glue it to their combs? Just a bit confused on that part

Ok. Look at the last photo of the hats. On the bottom edge you see part of the hat that isn’t a finished edge? (Left bottom of hat.)

That is the opening. You feed the back of the comb up through to the end of the hat. The opening is where the comb joins the head.

I put a drop of liquid bandage on each side of the comb at the front near the opening of the hat where the comb meets the head.

It keeps the hat in place so they can’t shake it off.

 

[aart]

How long have they had these on?
Do you take them off occasionally to check things out under there?

 

[aart]

I only leave them on when it is brutal. (Wind chill factor in teens or when it is wet and cold.)

Usually, no more than a week, then I check them, wash the hats and reapply if necessary.

How do you remove the adhesive?
Does it drive them nuts to have the 'hat' on.....probably some more than others.