Chick this out for some sports relief during the lockdown in Cairngorms

A fast paced production of Chicken Run is coming to a farm near Boat of Garten with a colourful cast of characters including Jalfrezi, Hard Pecks and Susan Boiled.

The owners of Tullochgorum Farm have hatched their own fun idea to keep friends and the wider public entertained during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Without even having to be egged on, they have created their own race to find out which of their hens rules the roost in the speed stakes.

But will it be one of the clucky trio already mentioned or their other rivals Motherclucker and the wonderfully named Barry who will suck seed, sorry, succeed?

Katie Beazley, who farms at Tullochgorum with her partner Duncan Miller, said: "We have a few family chickens that bless us with delicious fresh eggs daily and recently we have been astonished at just how speedy they can be while freely roaming the farm.

"Which got us thinking...

"In order to spread some joy during lockdown we decided to hold the first ever Tullochgorum Farm Chicken Race to give our friends and others in their lockdown bubbles the chance to come together with a light-hearted but egg-cellent race."

They were encouraged to pick the chicken supreme ahead of clucking, sorry, again, clicking on the race on Facebook.

Katie said: "People have been commenting and messaging us personally saying thank you for cheering us up. Someone has even told us they are going to name there first born after one of the contestants, Barry."

"The race has already been run but the way we have set it up for friends and family to pick their winning chicken and then watch the race and a time that suits them.

"We have encourage people to make there own wagers in there lockdown bubbles or with friends and family that they can't see at the moment.

"Someone in New Zealand played with her family in Grantown and a couple we know in England placed a wager that the one with the losing chicken would have to give the other a back massage!"

The four minute fun video was created by Duncan's brother Ross under the banner name Social Distance Sports.

It gives the names of the five runners before the camera focuses in on the racing stall or hen coop, it opens and the feathers fly in the race to the winning line, and its hen seed beyond it.

Katie stressed no harm was done to the chickens even the ones that got stuffed in the race itself.

Lots of friends have already got involved in the fun on Facebook with one joker asking: "Where's Margaret Hatcher?".

The Strathy will broadcast the 'live' race tomorrow online. Look out for the link.

Animation comedy Chicken Run was released in 2000 and set on a Yorkshire chicken farm in 1950s England, following the turbulent romance between Rocky the Rooster and Ginger the chicken.

Both yearn for freedom and plan a daring "prisoner of war" style escape along with their feathered friends.

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