Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Catriona Thomson: It’s hard not to get swept up in flock politics when you keep chickens

One of Catriona Thomson's hens getting comfortable. Photo by Catriona Thomson
One of Catriona Thomson's hens getting comfortable. Photo by Catriona Thomson

Last week saw a small village just north of Ullapool hold its annual celebration of the humble chook.

The event, Elphin Chicken Day, raised £2,600 for the upkeep and maintenance of the local hall. Hundreds of poultry fans flocked there, and organisers reported a “cracking turn out”.

The main race was won by Penelope Peckstop, owned by Sidney Harrison. Other awards were given for the most beautiful chicken and cockerel, as well as the throw-an-egg-as-far-as-you-can-without-breaking-it challenge, and the three-legged egg and spoon race.

This fun day has made a triumphant return after a two-year break, when Covid stopped the eggstravaganza. But what exactly is so great about chickens?

There are around 33 billion of the birds in the world. Domesticated poultry, with their ability to produce meat and eggs, provide a major contribution to nutrition worldwide. But, apart from their obvious value as food producers, I think they are amazing birds.

Elphin Chicken Day trophy winner Sidney Harrison, with his speedy chicken, Penelope Peckstop.

My poultry obsession started in 2018, with four rescue chickens from the British Hen Welfare Trust. I decided to get some, in part – in a middle-class way – to provide them with a better retirement home, but with the added bonus of eggs.

However, I wasn’t entirely sure about the whole thing. My dad kept hens when I was growing up in rural Angus, but I hadn’t had a lot to do with looking after them.

Chickens are smart, affectionate and surprising

The hen is one of the closest living relatives of the Tyrannosaurus rex, along with ostriches and alligators. But, never be duped by their bird-brained reputation – they are smart and can recognise people.

They are a joy to spend time with. Watching them interact is like a microcosm of humanity

If I step out the back door, I’m mobbed, but it is not the same response for anyone else. Of course, I feed them but, as omnivores, they aren’t picky about what they eat. I’ve seen them munch slugs, mice and frogs, dashing around to pinch the tasty treat from their rivals’ beaks.

I often wonder if I keeled over in the hen run, whether they would pick my bones clean like vultures.

Fresh eggs are an added bonus of keeping hens. Photo by Jurjanephoto/Shutterstock

Still, they are a joy to spend time with. Watching them interact is like a microcosm of humanity. It’s hard not to be swept up by flock politics; they are constantly squabbling.

The birds each have their own unique personality. Some are generous, some greedy and, if you are tuned in to the chat, it’s better than an episode of your favourite soap.

If I’m ever stressed, all I need to do is step outside and visit the hens. There is no better feeling than a chicken deciding that your wellies are the best place in the world to sunbathe. They spread their wings, stick out a leg, and snore – yes, chickens snore.


Catriona Thomson is a freelance food and drink writer

Conversation