Chicken Sweaters: How to Make Them to Protect Your Chickens

If your chickens have bald patches or seem to get really cold in the winter, you might like to crochet them a sweater with one of these free patterns.  Little Hen Rescue had shared a free knitting pattern to create a chicken sweater, the site is gone but the pattern is below and for a different patter you can check out the free pattern from Ravelry. These chicken sweaters can help your chickens survive the cold winter.  Does your chickens have bald spots ?
Have you ever used chicken sweaters ? Please share your experiences and tips ?

CROCHETED HEN SWEATER

Materials:

Double knitting yarn (100g makes approximately 3 jumpers)
.

2 buttons or 10cm Velcro

1 pair of number 8 (4mm) knitting needles

4mm crochet hook
.

Knitted in stocking stitch with garter stitch borders
.

Cast on 41 sts,

Work 4 rows K
.

Increase for tabs;

Cast on 10 sts at beginning of next row, k14, p to last 4 sts, k4.

Cast on 10 sts at beginning of next row, k14, p to last 14sts, k14.

Work buttonholes; (work these 2 rows straight if using Velcro).

(K2, yf k2tog) 3 times, work to end keeping edges in garter st.

Repeat this row for buttonholes on the other tab.

Cast off 10 sts at beginning of next row.

Next row – cast off 10 sts, k4, p2 tog, p to last 6 sts, p2tog, k4.

Dec 1 st at each end on every fol 6th row until 25 sts remain.

Divide for neck;

Work 11 sts, cast off 3, work to end – complete this half first.

1) k4, p to end

2) cast off 2, k to end

3) k4, p to end

4) k2tog, k to end

5) k4, p2tog, p to end

Work 4 rows straight

10) K to last 5 sts, inc in next st, k4.

11) K4, p to last st, inc in next st.

12) Cast on 2 sts, k to end, (11sts)

13) K4, p to end

14) K

Break yarn and rejoin to the other side of neck.

Work to match, reversing shaping’s and ending at winghole edge.

Next row – k, cast on 3, k across sts from other side of neck.

Next row , k4 inc in next st, p to last 5 sts, inc in next st, k4.

Inc 1 st at each end of every fol 6th row until there are 41 sts on the needle.

Work 6 rows straight.

Change to gst and knit 4 rows.

Cast off.

Sew on buttons or Velcro as desired.

Work double crochet around neck.

Here is another free chicken sweater pattern from Ravelry:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rescued-battery-hen-jumper