They are called "Hen Saddles" at Bernina; Chicken Whisper called it a different name but they all do the same thing. When you have too few females for the Male Rooster, he jumps on the hens too many times and literally pulls the feathers off the back on the hen...exposing her back to all weather elements. The Saddles protect the hen from the beak of the rooster and the elements of the weather. I ahve the pattern and the tutorial printed off but Dh refuses to let me saddle our hens...so they are not the fashion statement that these hens are....LOL.
