Knitters making jumpers for hens (From This is The West Country)

Knitters making jumpers for hens

11:30am Thursday 18th February 2010

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FORMER battery hens that have lost their feathers due to the conditions they were kept in are having jumpers knitted for them to keep them warm.

Members of the monthly Knit and Crochet Club, based at Monkton Elm Garden and Pet Centre, in Monkton Heathfield, are doing their bit to keep the rescued birds cosy.

Miranda McPherson, Monkton Elm craft centre supervisor, said: “We like to help charities and organisations and when one of our customers suggested we could knit jumpers for former battery hens, we thought it was a great idea.

“The hens usually come out of farms quite bald and can be underweight.

“They will soon fatten up and re-gain their feathers with the right care, but while they’re waiting for their feathers to grow back they can benefit from our knitted jumpers.

“We’ll be donating our knitted hen jumpers to the RSPCA in West Hatch and Little Hen Rescue, in Norwich.

“Both organisations re-home former battery hens and were delighted that we would be able to knit them some jackets.”

The club gives members a pattern to follow and people then knit the jumpers at home and take them in to the garden centre to be passed on to the two charities.

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