Knitted chooks to the rescue

Poultry auctions are generally laconic affairs, but not the ones that take place online for Denise Pratt’s chickens. Denise knits colourful and quirky woollen chooks for charity but you have be quick to bag these birds.

Denise started knitting hens to raise money for the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation 10 years ago. This not-for-profit is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of obstetric fistula (an internal injury caused by an unrelieved obstructed labour during childbirth). In rural Ethiopia, women have little access to emergency obstetric care, so if they are left with a fistula after childbirth, it can mean life-long debilitating incontinence.

“I’m a retired nurse and midwife,” Denise says. “So I understand what a difference treatment can make to women’s lives. I decided for my 60th birthday to try and raise $600. Thanks to my generous friends, I raised $1800, and it was so rewarding I just kept going!”

Join the party

When she has finished knitting a chook, Denise lists it in her Facebook group ‘Gorgeous Girls Virtual Garden Party’ and the first person to make a bid of $60 or more is the winner. The donation is paid directly to the foundation and Denise posts the chook from her home in South Australia. 

Because they are all unique, her designs are highly collectable. “Some people have more than 20 of my hens! It’s astonishing.”

Last year Denise turned 70 and hit another remarkable milestone – she achieved her goal of raising $70,000 for the foundation, changing the lives of countless women who can now run after their children and live their lives normally.

Chicken love

A stuffed chicken is an unusual choice for a charity drive but Denise was inspired by her own small flock.

“Myra, my Barnevelder, refused to lay in the nest box so I had to search all around the garden for her eggs. And Thelma and Louise, the Wyandottes, are very mischievous – they come and peck on the window if I don’t get out and get them their breakfast on time. My grandchildren, Henley, Artie and Alby, absolutely love them.”

Cuddly chooks

Denise’s knitting pattern is based on the therapy chooks developed by Barbara Joyce of Strathewan, Victoria, after the 2008 Black Saturday bushfires. The soft toys were knitted by members of the community and given out to comfort local school children affected by the devastating fires.

Denise’s hens come in a glorious array of colours, textures, sequins and fringes. Plump, soft and abundant, they beg to be cuddled.

“They are very soothing, so they are in intensive care units, hospitals and counselling services, and women find them comfortable to rest their arm on after mastectomy surgery. In the Lismore floods, many people lost their hens so I sent quite a few up there to help. Every person who has a chicken has a story to tell.”

Chickens are a great addition to your backyard in real life, but have you ever considered quails? Jessamy Miller is a fan, and she explains why in our Early Spring 2025 issue (OG 159), available at selected newsagents and supermarkets. You can also subscribe and get a copy delivered to your door!