General Chat

Anyone else want some chickens, or something to knit for lol

Well they will always want homes for these chooks until this kind of farming is stopped so there could be a time when you decide you can help out, Jude. Or you could just do the knitting bit.

Lizx

Hello Liz....just read most of the first post. Bless em:o)) wish we had room for some, don't think Vic would appreciate it and the garden would have to be re-organised.....might mention it to him though!! lol

jude :o) x

Utter madness Liz, where will it end?

Lizx

Liz
Many thanks for the details - I agree too many rules and regulations. On the news last weeks it said that any teachers using "blue tack" had to wear goggles and children were to be stopped running in the playground?????
Liz

Liz, it's in the first post on this thread lol

www.littlehenrescue.co.uk

or ring Jo on 07717 757 596


She is in Newton Flotman, Norfolk but I am sure the site will give a full address or you could phone her.

Maybe the chickens need bikinis in this nice weather lol

Isn't it daft about the toys not being suitable for charity shops etc now, too many rules and regulations.

Lizx

Thanks for the reply, but can't find the thread with the address. Have started knitting some jumpers. I used to knit a lot of toys, but the charity shops can't take them without a "safety label" - so only do them for friends now - also have been knitting jumpers for grandaughters.
Liz

The site address and phone number are at the bottom of my copied and pasted news item, first posting on this thread. Have you been knitting?

I put up another thread the other day about them.

Lizx

Please could someone give me the address of where to send the chicken jumpers
Thanks, Liz

Hi Gail, I thought you would like to read this story and was going to send you a link to it so pleased you have already found it.

Hope your chooks are ok and won't be needing jumpers lol

Must get to bed in a mo, am so tired, so will say goodnight and take care, and Happy New Year to you and yours,
love
Lizxxx

Thank you for this Liz. You forget at times that there are battery hens around.

I have a few hens that are over 7 years old and still lay the occasional egg. They do live long and productive lives.

One of my 7 year olds has gone broody and thought it may be too much to set her again. I decided to let her sit on some eggs and they are due to hatch next week. I put the eggs under her one at a time and each egg had her clucking and pushing the egg further under and I would swear her eyes were rolling around the back of her head. So far she is doing well.

I loved the little jumpers. I did not realise they only keep hens for 60 weeks of laying. A couple of mine have not layed for a year or more, they are living a great life and gave me many eggs over the years, so now enjoying retirement.

Gail

Good luck with the knitting, what a picture those hens will be with all the multi coloured jackets lol

Lizx

found it on website

thanks for pattern

If you read through the article it gives a website for the hens and you can find the pattern there. In case you cannot see it here is the pattern.

You will need to ring them to find their address as the address given is not the address to send them to. Perhaps someone else can do that?

Cheers
Tina x

To help us please follow the knitting pattern below, and if its ok, once finished you could drop them off to us or post them to us. Please contact me for address to send them to, as they will be returned if sent to yard address as its just stables and land. Thanks.


Nicki Trench Pattern

Battery Chicken Jacket

Basic Chux Tux

Abbreviations:

k: knit

p: purl

k2tog: knit two stitches together

tbl: through back of loop

st: stitch

rt: right





Use up your odds and ends of wool. It probably takes about one ball in total and about six hours to knit

Using size 3.25mm-4mm needles and double knitting wool.

Cast on 100 stitches.

Work 20 rows k1p1 rib.

Start decreasing, right side of work is facing you.

Keep the continuity of the rib pattern throughout.

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib26, k2togtbl, rib31, k2tog, rib27, k2tog, rib4 (96st)

3 rows rib maintaining pattern.

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib25, k2togtbl, rib29, k2tog, rib26, k2tog, rib4 (92st)

3 rows rib

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib24, k2togtbl, rib27, k2tog, rib25, k2tog, rib4 (88st)

3 rows rib

Rib4, k2togtbl, rib23, k2togtbl, rib25, k2tog, rib24, k2tog, rib4 (84st)

3 rows rib

Continue decreasing but only in the centre of the work

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib23, k2tog, rib29 (82st)

3 rows rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib21, k2tog, rib29 (80st)

3 rows rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib19, k2tog, rib29 (78st)

1 row rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib17, k2tog, rib29 (76st)

1row rib

Rib28, k2togtbl, rib15, k2tog, rib29 (74st)

1 row rib

Continue decreasing like this until:

Rib 28, k2tog tbl, p1, k2tog, rib29 (60st)

1 row rib

Rib28, slip next st onto rt needle k2tog, pass slipped st back over to cast it off, rib29,

(58st)

Continue without further shaping, k1p1 rib for 15 rows

Cast off loosely, in rib, in slightly smaller needles if possible.



Adjustable neck fastening.

Cast on 11sts

k1p1 moss stitch for 5 rows

6th row (working button hole)

work 6 st in moss st, cast off the last st worked (on the rt needle slip the 5th st worked over the 6th st)

work 1 st from left needle, pass the 5th st over the 6th st as before

work 1 st from left needle, pass the 5th st over the 6th st

moss st 3 remaining st.

(4st, gap for button hole, 4st)

7th row

moss st 3 st

next st, work into front but do not cast off needle, pass wool to back of work, and make second st into

the back, do not cast off, bring wool to front, and work third st into front, do not cast off, wool to

back, work fourth st into back of original st.

With 7 st on rt needle now release it from the left needle

work remaining 4 st from left needle in moss st (11st)

k1p1 moss st for 5 rows

repeat 6th row

repeat 7th row

k1p1 moss st for 5 rows

repeat 6th row

repeat 7th row

k1 p1 moss st for 2 rows

next row k2tog tbl, moss st 7, k2tog (9st)

next row k2tog tbl, moss st 5, k2tog (7st)

cast off in moss st



To make up

The wide end of the body shape is the tail end, the narrower end is the head end.

On main body of Chux Tux, sew together the first 20 rows of rib (at the wider end of the shape) only, to form a short tube, but leave open the rest of the garment.

Attach the cast on edge of the neck fastening to the side of the tux at the top.

Sew a button on the other side.



Deluxe Chux Tux

Make the basic Chux Tux and add the "Warming Flap".

Warming Flap

Cast on 25 st.

k1 p1 moss stitch, until work measures 14 cm

Next row, keeping continuity of moss st pattern

moss st 4, k2tog tbl, moss st to last 6 st , k2tog, moss st to end (23st)

next row, moss st

continue decreasing in this way (one decrease row, one moss st row) until 11 st remain

next two rows moss st

now work 6th and 7th row of adjustable neck fastening

moss st 5 rows

work 6th and 7th row of adjustable neck fastening

moss st 5 rows

cast off in moss st

To make up

Sew bottom (cast on edge) of Warming Flap to the cast on edge of the Tux placing

it centerally over the short back seam.

The Warming Flap adjusts and does up using the same

button that secures the neck fastening.

I saw an article about this before Christmas and there didn't seem to be one Ros, but I suppose there must be or the old people in the home wouldn't know how to do them. Will enquire further

Got to be quick on here as o.h. home early today and future Saturdays, if he even goes in. There goes my peace and quiet!

Lizxx

Lovely story -did you see the one in the Santa hat -I think I`ll get out my pins -wonder if there is a pattern ?
Ros xxx

What a lovely story indeed, she is a wonderful woman to be able to take all those poor hens on. My hands won't hold things anymore but it would have been a perfect job for me to while away the days.

Caz xx

It's lovely, isn't it, if you look on Eveningnews 24, you can see the item and look at the video.

Really off to bed now, it's 5.15am and I am sure o.h. wanted to get up early for work so better go and nudge him, in case he forgot to set the alarm!

Lizx

See the report from our local paper...
Many of us groan about the prospect of another knitted jumper from a distant relative at Christmas, but for featherless hens who have escaped a life of battery farming they are delighted by the festive offering.

The chickens, at Little Hen Rescue in Newton Flotman, have been taken in by Jo Eglan and her family in the hope of finding new homes in the New Year.

Mrs Eglan, 29, who is married to Steve, 30, and has two children, Jay, five, and Bobby, three, has been a vegetarian since her childhood and has dedicated her life to helping rescue the battery laying chickens who would otherwise be killed and turned into pet food.

But because the bald birds lose their feathers from stress and the cramped cages they are forced to live in while laying eggs, they are too cold to cope in winter - so Mrs Eglan has been encouraging anyone who can knit to make jumpers for the hens.

Mrs Eglan, who keeps the chickens at a farm in Greenways, Newton Flotman, said: “We have about 35 jumpers now. Evening News readers saw previous stories about the hens and started knitting jumpers for them.

“We had a nursing home ring us and all the old ladies are now knitting. Other people have sent the jumpers in too.”

The chickens were rescued by the Eglan family after 60 weeks of laying eggs, but Mrs Eglan said they will all go on for many months continuing to lay - although the number of eggs produced no longer meets the demand needed by farmers.


The chickens will grow back their feathers after a few months but the jumpers, which have room for the chickens to move their wings, allow them the warmth to do so.

The mother-of-two, who also works as a teaching assistant for Harford Manor Special School, said: “We have about 400 chickens at the moment but they are ex-free range birds. We are expecting up to 4,000 battery farmed ones in the New Year - and they will really need the jumpers.

“When we re-home them they go with the jumpers until they have re-grown their feathers - and then ask for the owners to give them back.”

Mrs Eglan said as well as more knitting nanas they still need homes for the birds they currently have, many of which are ex-free range Amber-Link hens.

She said: “Re-homing is a constant issue, even for the ex-free range.”

Depending on the farmer Little Hen Rescue offers about 30p for each bird but needs £1.50 to cover costs.

To see video footage of the hens in jumpers go to www.eveningnews24.co.uk

To offer a home to the chickens call Jo on 07717 757596 or go to www.littlehenrescue.co.uk