Don’t be afraid to confess.
We’re all friends here.
Your secret is safe.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
So, admit it …
You dream of bringing your chickens indoors.
A Girl with a Rooster by Jacob Gerritsz via Wikimedia Commons
It’s okay—it’s considered normal around here. I raised my girl Ginger indoors because sometimes …
a couple of daily visits to the henhouse just isn’t enough.
But, there is one problem with an open-door policy … it stinks.
There’s no polite way to put it:
chickens poop.
They poop EVERYWHERE anytime.
Photo by Liz Lawley via Wikimedia Commons
Nothing personal, but
floors and furniture are fair game.
What’s a hen-thusiast to do?
It’s simple: demand a dress code, my dear!
The Tale of Henrietta Hen by Arthur Scott Bailey via Wikimedia Commons
Bonnets and aprons are optional, of course, but pantaloons are a must.
Before you set off to track down a tailor for your diminutive debutante, let me introduce you to Julie Baker, a fellow farmer and proprietor of Pampered Poultry in Claremont, New Hampshire.
Photo courtesy of www.farmdreamer.blogspot.com
Julie makes designer diapers that fasten fashionably around a hen’s hindquarters, keeping her as neat and tidy as any welcomed guest.
“As interest in chickens and fresh eggs continues to gain momentum, more and more towns and cities are allowing for a small number of hens to grace even a well-manicured suburban setting,” Julie explains. “People are treating their small flocks not as an agriculture endeavor, but rather as an extension of their family, and they feel [their chickens] should have the same rights as the family dog or cat.”
Photo courtesy of Pampered Poultry
“I have a lot of customers that keep their chickens in the house full-time, and they love the diapers!”
Julie also makes adorable chicken saddles. No, silly, they’re not for Barbie dolls, but if you have roosters in the mix, you’ll want a saddle:
“Our chicken saddles offer your precious girls protection against those not so gentle gentlemen roosters! Our saddles fit comfortably around a hen’s wings and protect her back from feather pecking,”
Photo courtesy of Pampered Poultry
Julie has a humanitarian heart as well. She commissions a women’s sewing cooperative in Munoz, Dominican Republic, to stitch the diapers and saddles.
Photo courtesy of Pampered Poultry
“The sewing cooperative is a group of women who are working hard to better their lives and provide a good future for their children,” says Julie. “Pampered Poultry is privileged to work with these women to bring our customers a quality product that is making a significant difference in these women’s lives! Our support of the cooperative helps ensure the women’s children can go to school and that they can provide food for their families every day.”
Visit Julie’s blog or connect with her on Facebook to learn more about her fabulously fowl fashions.
Gotta pass this along to a friend who lives in the city & keeps a chicken as a pet. The chicken is an in~home/outdoor chicken. My friend’s pet chicken pretty much has the run of the household at night but can usually be found perched on one of the kitchen counter stools in the morning? Guess her pet chicken knows where breakfast is served;-)
Oh, and I really like the hairy legs on the chicken in your 6th picture. Too cute.
Tis is exactly why my husband refuses to agree to backyard chickens!! He knows me all too well. Of course I would want them inside in bad weather! And I love that Julie is supporting other women to have better lives as well. Maybe in retirement I can twist his arm?????