Mother-Daughter Team Knit Mini Sweaters for Rescued Chickens

— -- A mother-daughter team from a southwestern port city in Cornwall, U.K., are knitting mini-wool sweaters for rescued ex-battery hens.

Bird lovers Nicola Congdon, 25, and her mother, Ann Congdon, 58, have been providing homes for former battery hens, who were kept in tiny cages under poor conditions for the sole purpose of egg-laying. The Congdons have owned the hens for years but just started making sweaters for them six months ago, local newspaper Western Daily Press reported.

"The chickens absolutely love them," Nicola told UK newswire SWNS. She said the chickens have "no problem" putting the sweaters on and that they only wear them for short periods of time while outside.

Nicola explained that the sweaters help the birds acclimate to outdoor weather conditions, especially since many battery hens pull out their feathers out of frustration or boredom during their time in cages.

Nicola and her mother also sell the tiny wool sweaters to other hen owners around the area and in Canada.

Rather than charging customers, the two said they ask their customers to instead donate to Project Primrose, a UK-based charity that says it helps orphaned children "suffering from AIDs, cancer, malnutrition, abuse and neglect" in South Africa.