From dinosaur to dinner plate, Sally Coulthard tells the fascinating and sometimes shocking story of the domestic chicken.
In Fowl Play, Sally Coulthard probes every aspect of the genus Gallus- the evolution and domestication of the chicken; its social behaviour and array of physically striking varieties, from Rhode Island Reds to Belgian d'Uccles and from Buff Orpingtons to White Leghorns; its importance in ancient Egyptian religion, Roman augury and Christian theology; its role as egg-providing companion on farms and smallholdings and in suburban back gardens; and the darker reality of modern poultry farming and society's insatiable appetite for chicken breasts, wings and nuggets. This is a story of evolutionary change, epic global travel, and exploitation, as well as biophilia, companionship and human ingenuity.