I was reading some of the comments earlier and came across one from Bad Penny which mentioned knitting Ernest an Aran sweater - you'll need to read the post to understand what I am going on about - and I was reminded of an article I had read yesterday in the Waitrose Weekend paper which talked about knitting jumpers for chickens.
It seems that these are ex-battery hens which when finally released from their horrific labour camps are almost always bald and whilst their feathers re-grow they need to be kept warm. I searched out the paper and read it again and then checked out the webpage address given. http://www.monktonelmgardencentre.co.uk/ where I found this article:
The great chicken cover up...knitting in somerset....as many hen jumpers as we can.Before we knew it, a film crew came round to our knitting club - to see Dorothy the hen star in her BBC mini-film click on green link to see OUR FILM STARRING DOROTHY (Dorothy belongs to Jenny Armstrong who rescued her
If you would like to knit some hen jumpers, either come to our monthly knitting group Click here for our clubs and classes or knit at home & drop them off at the craft centre, and we will post them on. Click to get the hen jacket pattern.If you would like to find out more about adopting or sponsoring a hen please click on following links:Little Hen RescueBattery Hen Welfare Trust
It was an interesting site with all sorts of crafts and home items for sale as well as courses in crochet, scrapbboking and so on as well as the info about the hen sweaters. As it is not far from where I live I might pop along one of these days to have a look.
If the weather continues like today those chickens will not need jumpers but sun lotion might be more appropriate to prevent sunburn!! But if you feel you'd like to knit some needy hen a warm woolly pop over to the Monkton Elm Garden Centre website for the pattern!
OH.... MY......WORD.............!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat piece of film was jawdropping............
:O)
Did you show it to Ernest?! Glad you liked it anyway.
ReplyDeleteJane
Jane,
ReplyDeleteThis is fab and such a British thing to do! I love it and think that any group of ladies who can do this are your sort of people. Sounds like a great group to join in with. Lesley x
Lesley I am not sure how to take this comment!!! I know I am eccentric but....!
ReplyDeleteJane
Hi ! Ernest's mum here ... as I've been rounding my bad hens up from neighbours' gardens we are all rather hot & not needing a sweater !
ReplyDeleteThis is so sweet - battery chickens are in an awul state when they're rehomed but usually recover well with care & love.
thanks for finding this film !
My friends adopted 3 ex battery chickens last summer and they were in a very sorry state - but now they have a full quota of feathers and look very healthy, and not in need of jumpers or sun cream! They are housed in my old shed/dog run which we walked (in sections) up the road, much to the amusement of many passers by!
ReplyDeleteHi Jane.....my neighbour has ex battery chickens and yes when the weather is cold they do need these little jumpers. With a little tlc they do recover and become very pretty hens.
ReplyDeleteA very worthwhile post.....
L like you already, hens, jumpers and eccentric in the same post, you are my sort of person. Off to watch the film and to find pattern. Do you think hens will like lime green with pink spots!
ReplyDeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteHaving managed to get slightly rosy yesterday in the garden - I think I need to crochet myself a sun-hat, not a jacket! Not sure my chickens would appreciate a jacket. I think they prefer terrorising my seedlings naked.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Kate came round and made me write down your blog page and urged me to pleeeeease read it as this is what she wants me to knit for her ex battery chickens, so, here I am, loved the blog, and the links to the others, so i will be geting the knitting needles out tonight, one for Kate and one to send away to needy hens.I will try and read your blog, but im a lazy so and so or is that a forgetful so and so...I cant remember...X
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet but finally confirms it - we Brits truly are completely crazy. You'd never in a million years find that anywhere else! You HAVE to go along and then report back.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments.
Kate x
Poor hens! I read about them on the news a while back. It's lovely to see people care enough to make something for them to be more comfortable.
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know there are a couple of awards for you on my blog, I hope you will accept them, but you are under no obligation. I just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your blog.
ReplyDeleteThis gives new meaning to the phrase, 'dressing chickens'. If that does not translate in a country other than the USA, 'dressing chickens' means to butcher and clean them.
ReplyDelete