Why some chickens wear diapers on a farm near Kamloops
Chicken diapers can be ordered through several major online retailers, but some chicken parents are using a more simple item to keep chicken poop contained.
A chicken owner on a property near Kamloops, Suzanna Fradette, uses disposable masks to cover her birds’ bums.
“It is easy, you just loop the ear elastics over the wings,” she said. “The masks are just like disposable diapers.”
While chickens wearing diapers is unquestionably adorable, some people may question why such a thing exists.
Some people have pet chickens that live in the house and they don’t want poop on the floor, and some, like Fradette, only use diapers occasionally when she brings injured birds inside to recover.
“I use the mask diapers the odd time,” she said. “If I have to bring a chicken in the house I’ll slap one on them. I bring chickens in for health reasons. Pancake, my peacock, got a cut on his wing so I separated him from the other birds. Chickens are cannibalistic toward other birds who show weakness.”
Fradette said she knows other chicken owners who order cloth chicken diapers online, but will stick with the masks.
“I’ll only use disposables, I don’t want to put dirty diapers in my washing machine,” she said.
Fradette’s chickens have more than diapers in their wardrobe.
“People have sent me hats and jackets for them but I don’t use them,” she said. “The jackets make them colder because they can’t fluff their feathers to stay warm. The chickens have leashes and harnesses that the kids put on them. They love the chickens.”
Fradette lives in Deadmans Creek and owns fifty birds including guineas, peacocks, turkeys and silkies, along with two ducks called Lucky and Ducky.
Diapers for chickens, geese and ducks can be ordered through Amazon in all colours and patterns, from sizes extra small to large. The diapers come with elastic straps, and some come with bowties for chicken occasions.
READ MORE: Kelowna woman crochets warm hats for hundreds of lucky chickens
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