chickenAn Oxfordshire woman has launched a range of hand-knitted sweaters for rescued battery chickens that have lost their feathers.

Holistic healer Jane Blain was asked to knit the range of bespoke birdwear, which feature specially designed wing flaps, by a friend impressed by the tiny winter sweaters she’d designed for her pet chihuahua to wear when it shed its fur.

“A friend of mine, Maureen, liked the idea so much she asked me if I could make her something similar for her hens,” Mrs. Blain told the Oxford Times.

“Apparently their feathers had fallen off, which to me sounded perfect for an oven-ready bird. But she said they were getting quite cold. I know it seems a bit of a strange thing to sell, but there seems to be a market for it.

“A chicken is quite a funny shape, kind of like a funnel, with a narrow head and neck, and a wide body, so, I must admit, it took me a few attempts.”

The jumpers are currently on sale for £7.50 exclusively at Eynsham Country Market, held every Thursday morning at St Leonard’s Church Hall, although Mrs. Blain also takes orders by e-mail.

Maureen Sears, who commissioned the debut range, said her chickens loved “strutting around” in the sweaters.

“The battery hens are used to being squashed up against each other for heat so when they come out they do get a bit cold. They often lose their feathers too, so this is the perfect solution.”

This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 8:32 am and is filed under Birds, Cute, Farms. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.