Rebecca Sayce: They’re poultry, but they’re never paltry

My obsession with the egg-straordinary feathery fowl began when my husband was ruffling my feathers (too much? I'll stop now) to introduce some birds into our menagerie of animals.

After owning chickens and one unruly cockerel named Trunks during his childhood, he was adamant that I would love hearing a cock-a-doodle-doo to kick-start my day.

Despite my reluctance, he won me round with the guarantee of fresh eggs in abundance and the promise that he would be chief farmhand when it came to cleaning them out.

We have since welcomed nine chickens into our home, an eclectic mix of hybrid and pure-bred hens as well as one noisy cockerel. And they all waddled their way straight into my heart.

Just like our beloved dogs, I learned they each had a distinct personality that made them truly unique.

Our light Sussex, Dixy, is a lazy, laid-back girl that loves nothing more than eating egg shells and sleeping, while The Colonel will put on a feisty front until he wants to be picked up and carried back to the run after a long day destroying the lawn.

Dinner is the greedy girl of the bunch who shoves her way out of the coop for seed, and Dita is our skittish little roadrunner who can run the length of the garden in the blink of an eye.

Donner is a kangaroo in disguise that can reach unbelievable high spots, despite her tiny legs, and Popcorn is the tiniest chick of the flock that thinks she can beat up all the other hens.

Completing the bunch is Dipper, an adorable speckled pekin bantam that will scurry down the garden and jump into your arms when she hears your voice - or failing that, try and sneak into your coat pocket.

But one chicken that really stood out from the flock was Dolly. She was a pint-sized jet black silkie with a sky-high hair do and an attitude to match.

We were warned to be wary of our cockerel - with sharp spurs and a pointed beak that could easily tear through skin - but it became Dolly we had to watch our backs around.

After she became broody for the first time, she went from a cuddly blob of fluff - perfectly resembling a dust bunny from Studio Ghibli classic My Neighbour Totoro - to a surly teenager that would launch at you if you came too close.

Despite being the smallest bird of the gang at the time, she ruled the roost like a feathery dictator - and not one of her sisters tried to knock her off the top spot.

Every day when we came home from work, my husband and I had to gauge whether she was running towards us for a cuddle or to protect her clutch of eggs - and it was usually the latter.

Chickens are way more than something you may eat with chips, a salad or your Sunday dinner. They are a cuddly, intelligent, zany and beautiful bird that makes for a truly wonderful companion.

They can remember more than 100 different faces of people or animals, and have their own unique language with more than 30 different sounds.

Mother hens talk to their chicks while they’re still tucked up cosy inside their eggs, and the chicks can chirp back while in the shell.

Baby chicks can develop object permanence as soon as two days old, while it takes human babies around seven months.

Hens have exhibited mathematical reasoning, self-control and even structural engineering.

They can run up to nine miles per hour, have full colour vision, and they dream just like we do.

Chickens even have prehistoric roots and are the closest living relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex - although they're arguably less scary. Discounting Dolly, of course.

Despite their terrifying ancestry, research by Peta has found that chickens love to play and will run, jump and sunbathe when given the chance.

With 25 billion chickens in the world, there are more of them than any other bird species.

They've inspired hit films, artwork, fashion, and even photographers, with Italian snappers Moreno Monti and Matteo Tranchellini highlighting their beauty in the glossy book Ch!cken, a collection of stunning portraits celebrating the various breeds of poultry across the globe.

And it's easy to see how they've become muses to many over the years, with their eclectic variety of stunning colours, interesting feather textures and eye-catching forms that could take on any of the world's most regal tropical birds. Even their eggs can come in pastel blues, deep reds and olive hues.

Each of our hens is truly one of a kind, but one thing that unites them all is the abundance of love they have to give.

I never thought an animal could be more soppy than our pups, but nothing warms my heart more than the sight of our chooks running down the lawn to greet me, each begging to be embraced.

They're humorous to watch as they curiously explore their surroundings, optimistically search for insects, and create their own dramas as they endeavour to climb the pecking order. Honestly, it could rival any soap opera.

Beady eyes, scaly legs, rubbery combs and lots of heart. Life just wouldn't be the same without the gentle 'bok-bok-bok' of the humble chicken.