If you see a hen in what looks like a dress, it might be for a good reason. Chicken owners today, who may see their flocks as pets rather than livestock, buy their birds some luxuries: high-end coops , expensive treats and even holiday decorations. Some are also buying functional gear for their birds, such as “chicken saddles,” which look similar to clothing but serve another purpose: protecting hens from losing feathers and getting hurt by mating with roosters.
They’re custom made in different designs and fabrics — denim jackets, frilly aprons or heavy-duty canvas. Saddles aren’t the only functional gear you can buy for a chicken, but some enterprising Mainers are making small businesses just out of sewing them. Roosters mate with female birds by standing on the hen’s backs, bracing themselves with their feet as they get situated.
That process, called treading , can pull out their feathers and hurt their skin, especially when males get aggressive or pay a lot of attention to particular hens. The resulting bald patches may be painful for hens and give them less protection from the elements and injury. To heal, they may have to be removed from the flock, and reintroducing them can be difficult.
Why not just get rid of the rooster? Along with fertilizing eggs, a rooster can help protect the flock and keep an orderly hierarchy. Saddles provide a layer of protection between the two birds, and add some whimsy at the same time. Several people make and sell chicken saddl.
