Yet again, Hooting Yard demonstrates that it has its finger on the pulse, is tapping into the zeitgeist, setting the agenda, and alighting upon what are unfortunately called the “trending” topics before they are trendy. No sooner does Mr Key turn his gimlet (if myopic) eye to the subject of chickens, when suddenly everyone is at it.

In his Dabbler Diary on Monday, Brit wrote about the unimaginable number of chickens slaughtered daily worldwide. Nige addressed the important topic of chicken sexing. And in the paper the other day I learned of a play entitled, brilliantly, Knives In Hens. I am not a theatre-going person, so I had never heard of this “brutal fable set in a timeless spartan rural community”, but apparently it is a “modern Scottish classic”.

What next in the world o’ poultry? We wait with bated breath . . .