Fowl Play

Author Sally Coulthard has spent the past two decades writing about the things that inspire her – namely nature, history, craft and chickens! Her book Fowl Play was released in 2022 and pretty much covers everything you might want to know about the feathery creatures clucking around in your garden. Here we pick her brains...

Firstly, for the uninitiated, could you explain what Fowl Play is about in an eggshell?

It’s the extraordinary, fascinating story of the history of the chicken - from its T-Rex dinosaur ancestry to modern industrial farming and everything in between. It covers natural history, folklore, medicine, social history, legend, language, animal behaviour and many other weird and wonderful topics.

What inspired you to write a book about our feathered friends?

I called it Fowl Play for a good reason -I think society has played a horrible trick on the humble chicken, turning it from a glorious, exotic jungle fowl into a creature that most people farm and consume without even thinking of it as a sentient being. Chickens have become a ‘crop' to be harvested.

I wanted to highlight just what amazing creatures chickens are - how intelligent, how sociable, how incredibly resilient.

I’ve kept chickens for years - they’re remarkable, complex animals and I’m completely smitten. Different breeds have different personalities. Individuals within flocks also have such unique temperaments and characteristics.

We both know that chickens are one of the most underappreciated beings on the planet – do you think that is changing, albeit slowly?

What a good question. The honest answer is probably, depressingly no. While a few, passionate people take a close interest in chickens, and we know more about them than we ever did, the global market for chicken meat is increasing at a rapid rate; most of it farmed intensively, with poor animal welfare. It’s such a complicated problem, however, one that taps into issues such as poverty, inequality of resources, the global food market and so on. In a funny way, I think that most people like baby chicks and chickens, but they don’t really think about them when they’re eating poultry. We’re so removed from the process. As meat-substitutes improve, I suspect more ‘fast-food’ such as nuggets and chicken burgers will become plant-based without people really noticing the difference. I’m not anti-meat eating -I just don’t like that it’s become such an unthinking act, and such an environmentally destructive mega-industry.

Do you have your own hens and, if so, tell us a little about them!

I’ve kept dozens over the years - everything from silkies to pekins, pure-breeds to hybrids. We’ve had some real characters. My two current favourites are Andy, our cockerel, a bird of incredible gallantry and gentleness. He really looks after the flock, defending it to the hilt, but is as soft as a brush. The kids cuddle and jog him up and down like a fat baby. He comes to the window ledge every morning for a bit of toast and a tickle under the wattle. I also have a soft spot for Betty, our ancient Lavender Pekin who has had a pronounced limp from being a chick. It doesn’t stop her being feisty though - every morning, she practically kicks down the coop door to be first out and into the grain. She has also developed a unique running style - a kind of rolling lollop - which is amazingly swift. She’s the Boudicca of hens.

We know you’re a fan of the Great Outdoors – what would be your one tip for us all to live a bit more sustainably?

I’m in the same position as everyone else, desperately trying to make positive changes. Ten years ago, I would have said just focus on the small things - recycle more, grow more plants, eat free-range, buy organic, don’t fly too much, stop consuming stuff just for the sake of it etc. Now I’ve lost patience with the slow pace of change and the sheer ineptitude of government to make the profound changes that are needed, despite so much evidence and expert advice. My new tip would be to vote for change.

Finally, what’s your favourite way to eat eggs?

Ooo…tricky. Can’t beat scrambled eggs. One of my first ever jobs after university was working on Delia Smith’s How to Cook series, as a TV researcher. I learned how to cook scrambled eggs - no milk, just eggs and butter – from the best of the best…

Make sure you enter this issue’s Golden Egg competition (more info on page 20) to win a copy of Fowl Play.