Barn yarn: Retirees knitting sweaters for chilly chickens

Barn yarn: Retirees knitting sweaters for chilly chickens

MILTON, Massachusetts

Sweaters for chickens? It sounds like a joke, but a plucky group of retirees in suburban Boston has hatched a plan to keep poultry warm during the New England winter.

The unusual project began after members of a knitting club at Fuller Village, a retirement home in Milton, Mass., heard about the hardships that some chickens suffer this time of year.

Certain breeds shed their feathers and grow new plumage in the winter months. Others imported from tropical climates just aren’t suited for the wintry conditions.

Organizer Nancy Kearns said the project benefits birds kept on a neighboring estate known as the Mary M.B. Wakefield Charitable Trust.

“I don’t think in my wildest dreams I ever thought anybody made sweaters for chickens,” said Barbara Widmayer, 76, who started knitting when she was 15 years old.

Among the sweaters Widmayer crafted by hand was one for Prince Peep, a rooster native to Malaysia.

“There’s so much going on these days that’s kind of contentious in the world,” she said. “It was actually very calming to me to work on this.”

The chickens seem to like their sweaters: Estate spokeswoman Erica Max says egg production has jumped noticeably since the birds began wearing them.

It’s got some members of the club wondering what exotic project to take on next.

Kearns said someone gave her an article about a need for blankets at an elephant refuge in India. Making something pachyderm-sized, she joked, might be a little too ambitious.

Toledo allows golf carts on downtown streets

TOLEDO

An Ohio city is going to allow golf carts and other low-speed vehicles on downtown streets and two residential neighborhoods.

Toledo’s city council approved the plan and, starting in April, drivers who are at least 16 and hold a valid license will be able to take golf carts onto Toledo’s streets.

Toledo has about 280,000 residents.

A few cities and several resort-type communities around Ohio already allow golf carts on city streets.

Under Ohio law, golf carts may be legal within specific parameters and with safety features added. They must be titled, licensed and insured like any other vehicle.

Associated Press