"When they said they were going to make these sweaters for the chickens, I thought it was the most foolish thing I ever heard," one of the knitters joked.
These chickens are staying warm and stylish this season, thanks to a group of Massachusetts retirees who are knitting sweaters to help the birds through the winter.
Read: Man Makes Tiny Custom Hats for Toad That Shows Up on His Porch Every Day
While many chickens are able to grow new plumage for the winter, but other breeds imported from tropical climates often lose their feathers, according to APTN.
When the knitting club at Fuller Village, a Milton retirement home, discovered the fowl were suffering due to the cold weather, they decided to intervene using their handy skills.
"When they said they were going to make these sweaters for the chickens, I thought it was the most foolish thing I ever heard in my life and everybody that I told laughed at me," joked Libby Kaplan, a member of the knitting club. "They couldn’t believe it, but we made the sweaters for the chickens and I’m glad we did."
Prince Peep, a chicken and sweater recipient at Mary M.B. Wakefield Charitable Trust, is native to tropical Malaysia.
"It was actually very calming to me to work on this,” said 76-year-old Barbara Widmayer, who created Prince Peep’s sweaters.
Read: Sweater Late Than Never! Shivering Hairless Hamster Fitted for Tiny Top for the Winter
In addition to being a therapeutic way the retirees expend their energy, the chickens’ owner reported they have been doing better since they began their knitting efforts.
"We have seen a sudden increase in our egg production since these sweaters have gone on," said owner Erica Max. "I'm not sure that we can show scientific results, but we've definitely seen some improvement."
Watch: Tiny Kitten Gets Sweater Made From a Sock After Being Rescued From Hurricane Matthew
