# Fowl Play: A History of the Chicken from Dinosaur to Dinner Plate - Hardcover

by **Sally Coulthard** (Author)

The chicken can fly only a few metres but - somehow - this unlikely evolutionary descendant of Tyrannosaurus Rex has conquered the world. Earth is now home to more than twenty billion chickens, at least ten times more than any other bird. For every human on the planet, there are three chickens.

In _Fowl Play_, Sally Coulthard charts the chicken's fascinating journey from dinosaur to domestication to exploitation, exploring every aspect of the history of Gallus gallus domesticus: its importance to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans as food source and fighting bird; its symbolic roles in religion and folklore and metaphorical function in the language we use; its homely place as egg-providing companion on farms, smallholdings and in suburban back gardens; and its darker modern-day fate as battery bird raised to satisfy society's unquenchable addiction to wings and nuggets.

Of all animals, chickens perhaps best represent the contradictory way we humans treat other species; both beloved pet and cheap commodity, symbol of a sustainable good life and brutalised object of factory farming. The chicken is also a bird we feel deeply familiar with and yet know very little about. As informative as it is entertaining, _Fowl Play_ tells a remarkable tale of evolutionary change, epic global travel and ruthless exploitation - as well as of companionship, ingenuity and the folly of human nature.

### Author Biography

**Sally Coulthard** is a bestselling author of books about natural history and rural life including _The Barn_, _A Short History of the World According to Sheep_, _The Book of the Earthworm_, _The Hedgehog Handbook_ and over twenty more titles. She lives on a Yorkshire smallholding which she shares with her husband, three girls and an assortment of unruly animals.  
**Sally Coulthard** is a bestselling author of books about natural history and rural life including _The Barn_, _A Short History of the World According to Sheep_, _The Book of the Earthworm_, _The Hedgehog Handbook_ and over twenty more titles. She lives on a Yorkshire smallholding which she shares with her husband, three girls and an assortment of unruly animals.

**Number of Pages:** 288

**Dimensions:** 1.07 x 8.57 x 5.61 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** April 02, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 27.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 27.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Fowl Play: A History of the Chicken from Dinosaur to Dinner Plate - Hardcover

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