Chicken Saddles. Opinions, please! ~Pictures~

Well, I tried to sew a few more chicken saddles.

I was playing around with the idea of sewing a few to sell at a sale.

I've been trying to find some funky, fun material to use. Unfortunately, Terrace doesn't have that much selection in the way of denim material, so I picked out some slightly heavier canvas material. The ones that I found have quite a bit of white on them. Not crazy about the white, but, until I find something else...

These ones are double layered with canvas on top, and denim underneath. The straps are an elastic with a slit made at one end to attach to the button to do it up. I tried sewing velcro to do them up with, but I'm horrible at sewing and I have trouble sewing it onto the 1/4" strap and the velcro constantly breaks my thread. So opted out for the button.

I was going to go back to look at upholstery material. Do you guys think that type of material would work?

Also if I were to sell them, I wouldn't have a clue what to charge.

There are 3 sizes. Large, medium, and small. Small fitting silkies or booted bantams, Medium a polish sized bird, and large fits my cochins or EE's.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

They're great Silkie. I love the fabric pattern! No opinion on 'how to' but FYI, I paid $5 each for mine.

They look nice silkie,... I think you should be doing the fabric swap with us!!
I imagine you have used the buttons to make it easier to put them on but I wonder about the durability of the buttons?

I usually charge $5 for chicken saddles which are denim one side and lighter cotton on the other, I find if they are too light, they flip up and out of position, the denim(or other similar weight material, helps them to lie nice w/out being too restrictive)
I think my price is fairly low considering the cost of elastic but I do have lots of denim around and I am against nudity in chickens!!
I would think $8 -10 wouldn't be unreasonable, they do wash up well and last for years...

Also I much prefer the straps to crisscross over the head...they stay in place much better...

Yours are great Miry and very reasonably priced. Surely they are worth more than that for time alone. ANd I agree the criss-cross elastic works really well to help hold it in place.

I have a request for you saddle sewers out there........some kind of shoulder flap that lays over the section (or base) of the wing where it is connected to the body would be great as that is often where the rooster hangs on. It would have to remain loose but long enough not to tuck under when chicken flaps its wings.

This request is out of the mouth of a non-sewer so perhaps not realistic.

They look nice. I have not used saddles before, can they have them on all day and night or do they ahve to be removed when they roost? I am interested, some of my pullets are already looking a bit rough.

I know what you mean chicory, I have tried different ways but have never had much luck with the "flaps" staying down when they should and yet not restricting the hen too much so she can use her wings...I am open to ideas anyone has to do this b/c I know sometimes the issue is more on the point of the shoulder (or wing)...
I think they are great for covering that little part at the top base of the tail where other chickens can get pecking at...I only use them as a "bandaid measure"until the feathers have grown in sufficiently and then take them off as the hens are happier au naturel Im sure.

I keep them on all the time while they are bare, and it is best to put them on right away when you first see the feathers bent and broken, if you wait til they are "all plucked" it is a long road to recovery..
sorry to jump in on your thread silkie, I know you were looking for opinions on your saddles, but chicken nudity is a subject dear to my heart!!

No, no! That's ok, Miry! I am interested in how I can improve. I sort of tried a criscross one, but it looked like it was chocking the chicken, the chicken screamed (ok, made a squaking sound) and lay down and wouldn't move, so I took it off and made this type instead.

I would love to see pictures of the crossed ones, please! I want to make something that works.

CS, I've kept them on my bird as long as it's with a rooster but I didn't put one on till its back was almost bare. One of those new to chicken-keeping things, middle of winter last year, didn't notice, etc. Anyways, it needs a daily minor adjustment but that's it.

Silkie, the criss/cross elastic idea needs to be pulled down over the lower chest of the chicken not around its neck. I did that when I first got mine not knowing that I had to pull it down lower where it will sit comfortably and my chicken laid down as well until I figured it out.

heres a pic and I have a video here somewhere I could post...you are right chicory you do have to pull it down a bit lower..I think it should have been pulled lower in the second last pic here, it should be crossing more over their chest than their throat, also the last one shows this is a little too short in the back..I was experimenting with the perfect fit for a sebright, really I have never used a saddle on my bantams as the roosters are much lighter and dont do much damage at all..although I have used them on young chickens that were getting pecked down by the tail...
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Hmmm, I'll have to do a little experimenting....

I like yours a lot!

Here is a little video clip....
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Fabulous job silkie! I only hope my first attempt at making a hen saddle turns out half as well.


I think I know what you mean Chicory. I bought a few saddles off a girl with these protective flaps back when I got my first chickens. I call them wing protectors. They work quite well and don’t restrict movement at all. This is what they look like.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

And modeled on my first little flock along with one of miry's awesome saddles on the white hen.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Is it a seperate piece that attaches on top? Kind of like a butterfly shape...?

^ Yes, it is sewn on in the middle. I think it'd be cooler if it had a snap and could be removed for warmer weather though.

or velcro? hmm, I like the idea and can see the point if it is sewn in the middle only and the edges are free it would give more freedom of movement of the wings...
I want to try one like that...

You go Miry! Bring on the shoulder flaps.

WOOhoo! I'll take three.

I'm not sure about velcro though...the flaps might come off too easy under the rooster's attentions. Maybe a button?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]


what do you think?
Im going to go try it on a hen and ill post a modeled pic for you soon!
I only sewed it in the middle and I did double layer it with denim too
heres the back view....
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Here she is:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

see how she does with it...it seems to have pretty good coverage over her shoulders..

Ha ha! I love it. It looks so great. Now the real test will be that the rooster can still hang on. Good work miry.

I think it looks fabulous. Awesome job! Release the rooster!

Ha, I got such a kick out of seeing that Dominique hen with the wing flaps on, she looked like she was absolutely stunned with what was going on, the look on her face!! Silkie, how did you make out on the chicken saddles you were making? Miry, how did the flaps for the wings go? I see the poor feathers on the wing bows are taking a hit. Luckily one of them has gone broody, now she won't have problems, those feathers will grow back by the time she is done with chicks , have a most awesome day, CynthiaM.

they looks good! here is some of mine [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

i dont use velcro or snaps anymore i found they didnt stay on when i used them.. so i have the elastic not sew on the neck part it can move back, forth, lil harder to get on but they stay on ....

Hey trippleJ! Those saddles of yours are awesome! I just picked up some of that John Deer material the other day. I love it. I can't wait to use it. I want to make some Chicken Aprons and Human aprons from it! They didn't have that plaid one though. It's really cute1

I was using two layered heavy fabric for mine. The bottom layer is denim and the top is canvas. So they are sort of heavy duty I guess.

Those John Deer ones are sweet!

I would also like to try some of those shoulder cover things too.

My hens aren't with the roos now so they don't have much wear and tear on them, but I do have one hen who is starting to molt pretty bad, so I should probably slap a apron on her.

Mine are denim underneither as well