In my poultry-related online travels I came across something that I just can't stop thinking about. It's quite possibly the most interesting part of chicken ownership and I'd be willing to say that only hard core chicken owners chose this path. And I'll be the first to admit that I'm just beyond captivated with this.
Chicken diapers, my friends.
Chicken.
Diapers.
I found websites for purchasing your own chicken diapers, which I might add are pretty pricey (they cost more than a nice cloth diaper for your baby). I have also found patterns for sewing your own chicken diapers, which is probably the way to go if you want your favorite college team on your chicken's arse.
And I even found this great how-to video on YouTube. This woman - chickenmom - has a 7 minute 30 second video on how to measure your chicken for its very own custom diaper. She'll show you how to make it and how to wrestle your bird into the diaper. Make sure to view around the 5 minute 30 second mark when she shows how to diaper Phillip, her rooster, who also wears a little blue cape since he pecks at his own feathers.
If you choose to diaper your chicken, rooster, duck or other fowl, I've read on the chicken forums that you should use the diapers with a sandwich bag in there, a paper towel for extra absorbency and sprinkle in some Diatomaceous Earth and you'll have an odor-free chicken bum jaunting around your house. These in-home birds are often called "house-hens" and can roam around the house just like a pet cat or a dog, if they're appropriately diapered of course.
I have an interest in these chicken diapers for several reasons - I cloth diapered my boys so I like the idea of reusable cloth diapers… I like anything a bit quirky… and someone said they keep chicken diapers on hand for hurricane season. If a hurricane comes your way, you slap diapers on your flock and move 'em in to the spare bedroom and hunker down. We live in hurricane central and I think I might need to add three little chicken diapers to our box of hurricane supplies.
And I thought hiding my chicken-forum obsession from Farmer B was a must? What on earth will he think about this?
If you start diapering chickens I, I...I don't know what.
ReplyDeleteI can't decide if that would be the end of our friendship or the beginning of my Florida vacation plans. I'm on the fence.
BYC ROCKS! :)
ReplyDeleteI've think I really have heard everything now. But why does it not surprise me? Kate, I think you may be at the edge!!! But at least you have chickens . . . I'm still trying to convince the Ol' Salt that they are good to have. Good luck on the diapering. K (aka Mad Beach Maven)
ReplyDeleteOMG....you're gonna put a diaper on a chicken? That's too funny...
ReplyDeleteEG
Hey so I was reading your archives and saw the hornworm. At least you saw it in advance. The last one I saw was after reaching in to get a tomato. I yelled and did the heeby-jeeby dance and then picked and ...
ReplyDeletefed it to my chickens.
See? You just have to get some. :)
Oh lord. I'm so glad I wasn't drinking while reading this post. I would have just ruined my keyboard when I started laughing. I really think Farmer B will have no issues with being on the forum. Chicken diapers aside I think it is the actual chicken in the house that might cause the issue. The chicken is going to be much harder to hide than reading a forum, though the chicken diaper, I'm sure, will help in that endeavor.
ReplyDeletelol, my mum keeps talking about putting nappies on the chickens - now i can show her they exist...
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know, having house chickens is addicting! You think you'll just have the chicken inside for a little bit, then the chicken makes itself right at home and you can't send them back out to the coop. I've got a Silkie as a house chicken, and she truly thinks she's one of the cats, is loose all the time, and even wears a diaper. If you're interested, here's a link to more about keeping chickens indoors: http://www.squidoo.com/housechickens
ReplyDelete