Nicola Congdon and her mother, Ann Congdon, from Cornwall, England, came up with a novel way to keep their rescue chickens warm: They knit them woolly little sweaters.



And why would a hen need an extra winter layer? Many of the Congdons’ chickens are “battery hens” who’ve spent their lives confined in tiny cages to maximize egg output. The name “battery” comes from the rows of connected cages in a farm, like the cells in a battery. After years cooped up, the hens often struggle acclimatizing to changing weather conditions — they literally lack feathers. (To learn more about the conditions battery chickens typically live in, check out the Humane Society’s report.)

The Congdons have about 60 chickens, including 30 or so former battery hens. The others have been free-range since birth.



“It’s important to make people aware of the poor conditions the hens live in and the fact that they have no feathers when they are retired,“ Nicola Congdon told Mashable. “[The sweaters] keep them warm and make the chickens easy to identify.”



The mom-and-daughter duo are now receiving special requests for sweaters from hen-keepers everywhere, but instead of selling them for profit, the two plan to donate the money to an AIDS orphanage in South Africa.

To learn more, watch this video of the Congdons’ work.

Also on Yahoo Makers:

Photographer Shares the Powerful Bond Between Shelter Animals and Volunteers



Woman Turns House Into Retirement Home for Elderly Dogs and Cats



Strangest Knitted Creations: Chicken Sweater to Crocheted Bikini



Let Yahoo Makers inspire you every day! Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

