Learn how to make a DIY chicken saddle so you can protect the hens in your homestead flock who receive the most attention from the homestead rooster! The natural process of mating can be rough on a hen’s neck and back feathers. I have made many chicken saddles for my hens and they appreciate the protection that it provides, even if they find it a little awkward to wear at times. Some roosters don’t mean to be rough on the hens, it just happens as they try to do the thing that comes naturally to them. Other times, a rooster will choose favorite hens who then get the brunt of his attentions. Chicken saddles can be a simple and economical way to protect your homestead hens!
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What is a Chicken Saddle?
Okay, first off, a chicken saddle is not a piece of equipment you use to ride chickens. But I think we all knew that to start with. A chicken saddle is a cloth ‘saddle’ that covers the back feathers of hens. The ‘saddle’ stays in place by having straps that go around the shoulder joints of the wings. Some fancy chicken saddles have fabric protectors on the wing straps to help protect the wing feathers as well.
A chicken saddle, also known as a hen saddle, is used to protect a hen’s back feathers during the process of mating. A rooster needs to stand on the back of a hen in order to mate with her. He will also move his feet back and forth in order to keep his balance, which is a behavior called treading. Unfortunately, his sharp toenails and spurs can often cause damage to the hen’s back feathers and sometimes the shoulder feathers.
Hens who receive a lot of attention from a rooster can end up with feather loss on their backs and shoulders. The hen may have broken or missing feathers on her back or even bare skin and bloody spots. Chicken saddles are a great way to help protect the hen’s back and not disrupt any natural chicken behaviors. A hen saddle can at least protect the back feathers or bare skin of the back if all the feathers are missing. Some hen saddles can also protect the shoulder feathers if they have additional fabric protection attached to the shoulder straps.
When to Use a Hen Saddle
You can use a hen saddle to prevent feather loss on a hen’s back. It can also protect bare skin if her back has already been stripped of feathers. If you are aiming to prevent feather damage for your hens in the homestead flock then you will want to have them wear hen saddles during mating season. For hens who happen to be the rooster’s favorites, they may have to wear saddles all year round.
You can also use hen saddle if a hen is missing feathers on her back due to feather pulling. Feather pulling can occur if your flock’s diet is protein deficient or if they are bored. However, the most targeted regions for feather pulling are usually the head, neck, or vent feathers.
Avoid using hen saddles during molting season. A chicken is very sensitive during molting season since tender feather follicles are packed with blood to grow in new feathers. Any pressure on those follicles can be painful. If your rooster is still trying to mate during molting season, consider quarantining him until the hens are done molting.
You can stop using hen saddles after mating season (which usually peaks in the spring but can go throughout the summer), as soon as molting season hits, or once the hen no longer has a bare back or needs feather protection.
When will a hen grow back her feathers?
How long it takes the feathers to grow back in depends on the bird’s molt cycle. After each molt, blood flow will slowly be cut off from the feather follicles since they no longer need to grow. If the feathers were pulled after the blood supply has stopped, then the feathers will not grow back in until the bird’s next molt. If the feathers were pulled while there was still blood supply, then you may need to stop some bleeding if there are some bloody feather follicles on the hen’s back or wings.
After you stop the bleeding, you can carefully put on a hen saddle. Hopefully the feathers will begin to re-grow as long as they stay protected.
Keep in mind that a hen who has already lost her back feathers due to treading won’t re-grow those feathers until molting season. Molting season is a natural time for feather growth. The feather follicles on the back will start growing in new feathers along with the rest of the molting sequence.
A hen saddle will not cure feather loss. It will only help prevent feather loss on the back or protect bare skin.
DIY Chicken Saddle Tutorial
Supplies:
- 1/4 yard of fleece
- 13 inches of 1/8th inch wide elastic
- thread
- sewing machine
- fabric scissors
- sewing pins
- free printable chicken saddle pattern
Instructions:
- Print off the chicken saddle pattern. Cut it out and pin it onto the fleece.
- Cut it out of the fleece with your fabric scissors and take the pattern off.
- Sew around the entire saddle using 1/4 inch seam allowance.
- Cut your elastic into 6 1/2 inch pieces. Sew one end of each of your elastic pieces on to the top of the chicken saddle as indicated on the pattern.
- Sew the other end of each elastic piece to the sides of the chicken saddle as indicated on the pattern. Make sure you backstitch several times across both ends of the elastic pieces. This will keep the elastic securely fastened to the chicken saddle.
- Trim off any loose threads and the hen saddle is complete!
Tip: To make a hen saddle that also protects a hen’s shoulder feathers, you will want to sew on fleece ovals that extend from the shoulder straps of the saddle. The ovals should be big enough to cover the main shoulder area of a hen’s wing.
This chicken saddle pattern is designed to fit large chicken breeds like black Copper Marans, Black Sex Links, and Amaraucanas. To make chicken saddles that fit smaller breeds, you may need to shorten the elastic pieces and the length or overall size of the chicken saddle.
How to Use a Hen Saddle
To put the chicken saddle on a hen, first hold the bird still (either on the ground or by holding the hen in one hand and supporting her against your body). Then slide one elastic strap over one wing, keeping the wing in the natural folded position. Make sure the elastic sits properly around the wing shoulder and does not bend or fold any feathers.
Do the same with the other strap and other wing. The hen may not like the chicken saddle at first and may try to preen it off. Most hens will get over it though and pretty soon they won’t even bother with it on their back. The nice thing about hen saddles made out of fleece is that, if they get really dirty, you can just throw them in your washer and have a nice clean saddle again!
Notes:
Some hens won’t mind wearing the chicken saddle, other hens may freak out about the foreign object strapped to her back! Either way, you will want to make sure the hen accepts the chicken saddle when you first put it on her and that it doesn’t inhibit her natural behaviors.
The hen saddle should fit the hen properly and be the right size for her back. The elastic straps shouldn’t be too tight around her wings and the saddle should fit comfortably over her back. Hen saddles that are too big for a hen can become dangerous due to entanglement or inhibit natural behaviors such as flying. Hen saddles that are too small for a hen can cause feather and skin damage due to chaffing.
A hen saddle that fits a hen properly will function by protecting the back feathers (and sometimes wing feathers) of the hen.
You will want to make sure that hens who are wearing the saddles don’t become victim to bullying. Try to choose hen saddle colors that match the feather colors of the hen who will be wearing the saddle. The less conspicuous the saddle is, the less attention it will attract. If a hen is getting bullied, you will have to take measures to prevent or stop the bullying (check out some tips here!).
Can a Rooster Use a Hen Saddle?
In special cases, a rooster may be victim of bullying or feather pulling. Subordinate roosters in a flock of multiple roosters may be victim to bullying. Roosters who are not assertive may even get bullied by assertive hens in their flock.
If a rooster is experiencing feather loss on his back (that is not due to molting), then he can wear a hen saddle too! Sometimes a rooster may get his tail feathers pulled out, in which case you can make a hen saddle that extends further along the back, more like a skirt. Then it will cover the rooster’s back, rump, and tail until he can regrow his feathers at molting season.
Keep in mind, chickens usually molt during the late summer and fall, so try and remove any chicken saddles during that season to avoid discomfort for the chickens.
Chicken Saddle Tips
Fashion vs Function:
If you have browsed through Etsy, or even Amazon, you may have seen some pretty fancy hen saddles that you can buy. I prefer to use these simple homemade hen saddles since they attract minimal attention, are easy to make, and function just as well as any fancy ones.
Some store bought ones are made out of tougher material that may last longer than fleece. You may need to replace these DIY homemade ones ever so often. Especially if they get frequent, rough use. The fleece and elastic may stretch out, but thankfully they are pretty simple (and cheap) to re-make.
Keeping it On:
Occasionally you may notice that the wing straps slip off from around the wing shoulder, in which case you should fix it immediately. That way the hen doesn’t get tangled, caught, or trip over the dragging saddle. If the saddle repeatably comes off, you may need to adjust the elastic straps or use a smaller hen saddle.
Rooster Management:
While a hen saddle can help protect a hen, sometimes hens just need a break from roosters. If you are not using your rooster for breeding or if you are done with breeding season, consider separating the rooster from the hens for a little bit. A break from the attentions of the rooster can help preserve their feathers and keep them healthy and happy.
Hopefully this simple DIY chicken saddle tutorial will help you make some protection for your hens if they are experiencing the overzealous attentions of the homestead rooster! These fleece chicken saddles are simple to assemble, inexpensive to make, and function well for most feather loss problems that result from treading. Your hens will get used to the simple style of the saddle and will enjoy the relief the saddle provides for their back feathers. Your hens will thank you for the protection and you will have a happy and nice looking homestead flock once again!
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by Alexa
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