I am first in line to encourage the proper care and keeping of pet chickens and can anthropomorphize my pets with the best of ’em, but the truth is, sweaters do not help backyard chickens and if I believed they did, I would use them and advocate their use. While it’s fine to engage in a little silliness with our chickens from time-to-time for a quick photo op, sweaters are not only unnecessary, they can be dangerous.

 While it's fine to engage in a little silliness with our chickens from time-to-time, sweaters are not only unnecessary, they can be dangerous.

Doc Brown is keeping herself warm by fluffing out her feathers to trap warm air next to her body

THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKEN SWEATERS

1. Sweaters Prevent Natural Regulation of Body Temperature
Chickens are anatomically and physiologically very different from people and have unique attributes that allow them to regulate their body temperatures. The average body temperature of a chicken ranges between 104°-107°F (daytime rectal temp is even higher at 105-109.4). In cold weather, a chicken is able to increase its body temperature by eating more. Digestion creates internal heat, which radiates through the skin warming the air next to it, which is then trapped against its body by feathers. Chickens are living, breathing furnaces wrapped in down coats and we ought not confuse our comfort level with a chicken’s comfort level. In freezing temperatures, the average backyard chicken in the midst of a hard molt would be better served by a retreat to an indoor dog crate in the basement or garage than a sweater.

A quick search of 'chicken sweaters' on Pinterest turns up plenty of photos of hens in sweaters, none of which are bald or even mostly feather free, the main argument in favor of the garment.

A quick search of “chicken sweaters” on Pinterest turns up plenty of photos of hens in sweaters, none of which are bald or even primarily feather-free, the main argument in favor of the garment

2. Sweaters Trap Moisture Next to a Chicken’s Skin
A sweater will trap moisture next to the chicken’s skin, which further impedes its ability to keep itself warm and encourages lice & mites to set up camp on feathers and skin.

Newly emerging feathers, called pin feathers, have a vein-filled shaft which is very sensitive and will bleed if cut or injured. Chickens prefer not to be handled during a molt because it can be quite painful, so it stands to reason that a sweater pressing on sensitive, emerging pin feathers is painful proposition, at best.
Pin feathers

3. Sweaters Rub Against Sensitive Pin Feathers
Newly emerging feathers, called pin feathers, have a vein-filled shaft which is very sensitive and will bleed if cut or injured. Chickens prefer not to be handled during a molt because it can be quite painful, so it stands to reason that a sweater pressing on sensitive, emerging pin feathers would be a painful proposition, at best.

Newly emerging feathers, called pin feathers, have a vein-filled shaft which is very sensitive and will bleed if cut or injured. Chickens prefer not to be handled during a molt because it can be quite painful, so it stands to reason that a sweater pressing on sensitive, emerging pin feathers is painful proposition, at best.

4. Sweaters Interfere with Preening
Dust-bathing and preening are important chicken activities that help keep parasite populations down and feathers in good working order. Sweaters prevent a chicken from maintaining its hygiene if it cannot reach the feathers or toss dirt into the feathers and shake off afterwards.

Dust-bathing and preening are important activities to a chicken that help keep parasite populations down and feathers in good working order. Sweaters prevent a chicken from maintaining their own hygiene if the bird cannot reach the feathers or toss dirt into the feathers and shake off afterwards.

5. Sweaters Make Easy Prey of Chickens
A chicken sweater provides hawks with a handy carrying-case for a free-range chicken. No need to make their jobs any easier or ensure that there is no possibility of the raptor releasing a chicken from talons that have become entangled in a sweater.

A chicken sweater provides hawks with a handy carrying-case for a free-range chicken. No need to make their jobs any easier or ensure that there is no possibility of the raptor releasing the chicken from talons that have become entangled in a sweater.

6. Mating Accidents
When chickens mate, the rooster gets into “treading” position, which resembles a piggy-back ride, standing on top of the hen, holding her neck feathers with his beak and steadying himself with his feet on her back or wings. A rooster’s spurs or nails can get caught in a hen’s sweater while mating, which is a strangling hazard to the hen and can endanger both a hen and rooster if he cannot free himself from a sweater.

A roosters spurs or nails can get caught in a sweater while mating, which is a strangling hazard to the hen and can cause a dangerous situation for the rooster who cannot free himself.

 

7. General Accident Hazard

Aside from the potential for roosters to get caught in a chicken sweater, the dangers of entanglement in chicken wire, hardware cloth and branches in the yard are extremely high.

 

Screengrab of the British Hen Welfare Trust, a battery hen rescue and re-homing organization in the United Kingdom. From these photos it is clear that the birds are not featherless.

Screen-grab of the British Hen Welfare Trust, a battery hen rescue and re-homing organization in the United Kingdom. From these photos it is clear that the birds are not featherless.

'The hens sometimes have few feathers, but most people are surprised that the majority of birds don't look too bad. If you adopt feather-bare hens, you'll be amazed at how quickly they blossom. They usually start to re-feather within a few weeks and look amazing within a couple of months!' There is no recommendation for chicken sweaters, bolstering my sense that sweaters contribute more to making humans feel better about 'doing something' for these poor hens than they actually contribute to the bird's well being.

8. Ex-battery Hens
Ex-battery hens who have lost feathers from a lifetime of imprisonment in tiny cages were no doubt the recipients of the first chicken sweaters. The British Hen Welfare Trust, a battery hen rescue organization in the UK, states on its website, “The hens sometimes have few feathers, but most people are surprised that the majority of birds don’t look too bad. If you adopt feather-bare hens, you’ll be amazed at how quickly they blossom. They usually start to re-feather within a few weeks and look amazing within a couple of months!” There is no recommendation for chicken sweaters, bolstering my belief that sweaters contribute more to making humans feel better about “doing something” for rescued hens than they actually contribute to the bird’s well being. Further, the British Hen Welfare Trust goes on to outline measures for caring for ex-battery hens in cold weather without mention of sweaters whatsoever.

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. Take the cute photo and then pack it away with the Halloween costume she undoubtedly also finds irritating.

The average, backyard pet chicken does not need a sweater to keep warm. Take the cute photo and then pack it away with the Halloween costume she undoubtedly also finds irritating.

Kathy Shea Mormino

Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. …Read on

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I am first in line to encourage the proper care and keeping of pet chickens and can anthropomorphize my pets with the best of ’em, but the truth is, sweaters do not help backyard chickens and if I believed they did, I would use them and advocate their use. While it’s fine to engage in a little silliness with our chickens from time-to-time for a quick photo op, sweaters are not only unnecessary, they can be dangerous.

 While it's fine to engage in a little silliness with our chickens from time-to-time, sweaters are not only unnecessary, they can be dangerous.

Doc Brown is keeping herself warm by fluffing out her feathers to trap warm air next to her body

THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKEN SWEATERS

1. Sweaters Prevent Natural Regulation of Body Temperature
Chickens are anatomically and physiologically very different from people and have unique attributes that allow them to regulate their body temperatures. The average body temperature of a chicken ranges between 104°-107°F (daytime rectal temp is even higher at 105-109.4). In cold weather, a chicken is able to increase its body temperature by eating more. Digestion creates internal heat, which radiates through the skin warming the air next to it, which is then trapped against its body by feathers. Chickens are living, breathing furnaces wrapped in down coats and we ought not confuse our comfort level with a chicken’s comfort level. In freezing temperatures, the average backyard chicken in the midst of a hard molt would be better served by a retreat to an indoor dog crate in the basement or garage than a sweater.

A quick search of 'chicken sweaters' on Pinterest turns up plenty of photos of hens in sweaters, none of which are bald or even mostly feather free, the main argument in favor of the garment.

A quick search of “chicken sweaters” on Pinterest turns up plenty of photos of hens in sweaters, none of which are bald or even primarily feather-free, the main argument in favor of the garment

2. Sweaters Trap Moisture Next to a Chicken’s Skin
A sweater will trap moisture next to the chicken’s skin, which further impedes its ability to keep itself warm and encourages lice & mites to set up camp on feathers and skin.

Newly emerging feathers, called pin feathers, have a vein-filled shaft which is very sensitive and will bleed if cut or injured. Chickens prefer not to be handled during a molt because it can be quite painful, so it stands to reason that a sweater pressing on sensitive, emerging pin feathers is painful proposition, at best.
Pin feathers

3. Sweaters Rub Against Sensitive Pin Feathers
Newly emerging feathers, called pin feathers, have a vein-filled shaft which is very sensitive and will bleed if cut or injured. Chickens prefer not to be handled during a molt because it can be quite painful, so it stands to reason that a sweater pressing on sensitive, emerging pin feathers would be a painful proposition, at best.

Newly emerging feathers, called pin feathers, have a vein-filled shaft which is very sensitive and will bleed if cut or injured. Chickens prefer not to be handled during a molt because it can be quite painful, so it stands to reason that a sweater pressing on sensitive, emerging pin feathers is painful proposition, at best.

4. Sweaters Interfere with Preening
Dust-bathing and preening are important chicken activities that help keep parasite populations down and feathers in good working order. Sweaters prevent a chicken from maintaining its hygiene if it cannot reach the feathers or toss dirt into the feathers and shake off afterwards.

Dust-bathing and preening are important activities to a chicken that help keep parasite populations down and feathers in good working order. Sweaters prevent a chicken from maintaining their own hygiene if the bird cannot reach the feathers or toss dirt into the feathers and shake off afterwards.

5. Sweaters Make Easy Prey of Chickens
A chicken sweater provides hawks with a handy carrying-case for a free-range chicken. No need to make their jobs any easier or ensure that there is no possibility of the raptor releasing a chicken from talons that have become entangled in a sweater.

A chicken sweater provides hawks with a handy carrying-case for a free-range chicken. No need to make their jobs any easier or ensure that there is no possibility of the raptor releasing the chicken from talons that have become entangled in a sweater.

6. Mating Accidents
When chickens mate, the rooster gets into “treading” position, which resembles a piggy-back ride, standing on top of the hen, holding her neck feathers with his beak and steadying himself with his feet on her back or wings. A rooster’s spurs or nails can get caught in a hen’s sweater while mating, which is a strangling hazard to the hen and can endanger both a hen and rooster if he cannot free himself from a sweater.

A roosters spurs or nails can get caught in a sweater while mating, which is a strangling hazard to the hen and can cause a dangerous situation for the rooster who cannot free himself.

 

7. General Accident Hazard

Aside from the potential for roosters to get caught in a chicken sweater, the dangers of entanglement in chicken wire, hardware cloth and branches in the yard are extremely high.

 

Screengrab of the British Hen Welfare Trust, a battery hen rescue and re-homing organization in the United Kingdom. From these photos it is clear that the birds are not featherless.

Screen-grab of the British Hen Welfare Trust, a battery hen rescue and re-homing organization in the United Kingdom. From these photos it is clear that the birds are not featherless.

'The hens sometimes have few feathers, but most people are surprised that the majority of birds don't look too bad. If you adopt feather-bare hens, you'll be amazed at how quickly they blossom. They usually start to re-feather within a few weeks and look amazing within a couple of months!' There is no recommendation for chicken sweaters, bolstering my sense that sweaters contribute more to making humans feel better about 'doing something' for these poor hens than they actually contribute to the bird's well being.

8. Ex-battery Hens
Ex-battery hens who have lost feathers from a lifetime of imprisonment in tiny cages were no doubt the recipients of the first chicken sweaters. The British Hen Welfare Trust, a battery hen rescue organization in the UK, states on its website, “The hens sometimes have few feathers, but most people are surprised that the majority of birds don’t look too bad. If you adopt feather-bare hens, you’ll be amazed at how quickly they blossom. They usually start to re-feather within a few weeks and look amazing within a couple of months!” There is no recommendation for chicken sweaters, bolstering my belief that sweaters contribute more to making humans feel better about “doing something” for rescued hens than they actually contribute to the bird’s well being. Further, the British Hen Welfare Trust goes on to outline measures for caring for ex-battery hens in cold weather without mention of sweaters whatsoever.

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. Take the cute photo and then pack it away with the Halloween costume she undoubtedly also finds irritating.

The average, backyard pet chicken does not need a sweater to keep warm. Take the cute photo and then pack it away with the Halloween costume she undoubtedly also finds irritating.

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Crystal Jennings
Crystal Jennings
2024 years ago

Glad you wrote an article about this. My sister sent me a picture of a hen in a sweater and said to me I bet you can make these. I told her I could but – chickens do not need sweaters and living in TX it doesn’t get that cold in the Houston area to warrant something like this. Besides that I told her that I would be afraid of it just due to the simple fact that rooster could get his toes caught in this and it would not be a very nice outcome. But you mentioned chicken hawks… Read more »

iGotdaMic
iGotdaMic
2024 years ago

I don’t have chickens. None of my friends who have chickens do this. So, today is the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing. The article I read just before this was in regard to someone knitting sweaters for “battery chickens” – unable to adjust because they’ve been caged and kept in climate controlled environment most of their lives for the sake of production.

Thoughts on that? (Sincere question)

Dawn Panda
Dawn Panda
2024 years ago

Just a quick addition to your article. I have direct experience with commercial laying hens, as I worked on a commercial egg farm as a teen. The hens have a much shorter molt period than average, getting through it in about three days. The hens are not generally poorly-feathered; poor feathering is a sign of poor health. Unhealthy hens aren’t good layers. About ninety percent of the propaganda I read about battery-caged hens is just that: propaganda. :( Putting sweaters on birds, as mentioned above, is a great way to create poorly-feathered unhealthy birds, even if they are retired from… Read more »