Pecking Order

Pecking Order revolves around the 148-year-old Christchurch Poultry, Bantam and Pigeon Club in New Zealand. It’s a well-balanced documentary that intertwines the members, club politics and chicken breeding, as it builds up to the main event the national competition.

This could easily have been a patronising exercise, but thankfully there is no snarky condescending voiceover, or irritating plucked strings to indicate that this is ‘quirky’. Director and writer Slavko Martinov has just let the cast get on with it; no comment or fuss.

As is customary with these documentary’s there tends to be a concentration on some people over others. But this isn’t because they are the most eccentric; it’s because they have the most interesting stories to tell.

So, we have Brian who has been breeding and competing for nearly 50 years, and whose home is one enormous chicken coup. There’s Doug the club chairman who is under some pressure to stand down after a long stint. As such there’s scheming afoot and a real fear that the club is in danger of splintering as it heads to its 150th year. (Which is 2017, the film was made in 2015.)

Away from the club there’s judge Ian, a stickler for rules and procedures, and there’s a lot of them, as he shows us two thick folders! And as we get to the national competition, teamed with an Australian judge, every feather has to be in place, beaks cut properly and the colours right. It is actually very interesting the level of detail that has to achieved by the competitors, as in any competition.

There’s some very funny scenes with escaped chickens on the run and it’s all very good natured. We are however reminded that these are going concerns and people’s livelihoods, which means that sometimes things aren’t very much fun. They have to contend with the problems of vermin and hawks, which can devastate an operation. Plus, there’s not much sympathy for a bird or chick if it is not up to scratch, it’s off to the pot, or the dogs.

The film playfully conveys the passion of the ‘chick fancying’ members and their affection for the club. Going beyond chickens, anyone who has ever been involved with associations and competitions will almost certainly be familiar with some of the situations that the Christchurch club finds itself in. That element will hopefully give Pecking Order a broader appeal and a wider audience.