A chicken saddle is a good thing to keep on hand if you have a flock of chickens. They’re handy to have around for more than one chicken problem. They’re also easy to make (or inexpensive to buy) and could possibly even save the life of one of your hens.

A hen saddle is a piece of material that protects a chicken’s skin and feathers from damage due to rooster over-mating. During mating, a rooster stands on (treads) the hens’ back and wings to balance himself.

A chicken saddle is the same basic shape as a horse saddle, but it’s made of fabric. Sort of like an apron for the chickens back. As you can see a chicken saddle covers almost the hens whole back. It keeps the rooster from pulling her feathers out during mating and allows the feathers underneath to start to grow back.

What are poultry saddles? A poultry saddle is a thick piece of material like leather or canvas that fits onto the back of your hen, protecting her from the cock’s feet and spurs during mating.

A hen apron, or chicken saddle, is a device you put on your hens to protect their backs from roosters during mating. When roosters mate with hens, the hens often sustain feather loss and cuts and gashes on their backs and shoulders that can lead to infection, picking, cannibalism and death.

Instructions

1. Download, print and cut out the pattern.
2. Using the pattern, cut two pieces of fabric and one piece of interfacing (iron-on is nice) or make three layers of fabric if you don’t have interfacing.
3. Pin all three pieces together (right sides facing out, you can iron in interfacing if that’s what you’re using)

If the wound is no longer bleeding and is in a place where the chicken will not peck at it, you may leave it open so that you can check it more easily. Otherwise, cover the wound with a gauze pad and tape it either directly around the wound or make a body wrap around the chicken to hold the dressing in place.

Place the two pieces of the hen saddle, right sides together. Stitch the two layers together, leaving the opening shown, unsewn for turning. Use a quarter inch seam allowance and clip the curves to make turning easier. Turn the hen saddle to the right side by pulling the saddle through the opening.

“When a rooster mates with a hen, he mounts her and, standing on her back, lowers his cloaca (vent) and the hen inverts her own cloaca to meet with his. There is no penetration, but the sperm packet released by the male is taken into the hen’s cloaca or vent.

Great Function: Prevent the chicken from smash and protect the chicken’s head. Size Adjustable: The size of the helmet can be adjusted to suit different sizes of poultry and there is enough room for expansion so that it does not hurt your poultry when worn. Suitable for: chicken, duck and other poultry.

If a chicken is truly without feathers, they should be kept out of the elements (rain/snow) in a shelter that is above freezing. A sweater will not help a naked chicken stay warm and will be a safety hazard. The average, backyard pet chicken does not need a sweater to keep warm.

If you have chickens and want to take one for a walk, lead them on a harness with a leash, just like a dog. For the crafty chicken owner, make them a harness!

Having never seen a hen walking on a leash before, it was surprising to say the least. They are fantastic to use in areas where your chickens can’t free range. You can walk them on the leash to give them exercise; this will help to keep them healthy.

The result is a floppy, prostrate animal apparently oblivious to the world around it. Hypnotism is probably the wrong word, though. The trick is thought to be a gentle way of inducing ‘tonic immobility’, a state of temporary paralysis that enables an animal to feign death when cornered by a predator.

5 – 10 years

Plymouth Rocks are hybrid chickens that are known for being some of the longest-lived of all of their flock mates. They can live for ten to twelve years if they are raised in the proper conditions!