The search for Australia's Next Top Chicken started as a bit of fun but turned into a viral celebration of the most unlikely of feathered friends.
The "Lord of Hensington Palace", a "basic" ISA brown, and a house rooster with a disability — occasionally seen wearing a tutu — were among the 500 chooks that flocked to the competition, which was inspired by a reality TV modelling contest for humans.
Nobody expected the online poll would attract more than 70,000 votes before the pecking order was established.
So what was it about a chook beauty competition that made so many people cluck with delight?
"Chickens are addictive," Ros Russell said.
"They're just too cute, you can't resist."
She came up with the concept for the competition on a whim one night, channelling the television show Australia's Next Top Model.
"Going to farm shows and state shows, the chickens have to look and perform a certain way," she said.
"But this is a competition for everyone, to show what chickens are really about."
'Henfluencer' takes top perch
Jolene is a run-of-the-mill commercial layer — a "basic" ISA Brown.
She doesn't have the fluffy plumage, proud afros, downy feet or intricate patterns of some of the other entrants, but she rules the roost as Australia's Next Top Chicken.
Her owner, Susanne Dubreuil from Caboolture, north of Brisbane, describes her as "very generic" but "very sassy".
But she pulled in 5,500 votes.
"I only entered as a joke, but it spread like wildfire," she said.
"I do have a bit of a social media following, and I did post a lot. People came for the puns.
"She's a henfluencer. You could say that. She's definitely an eggs-traodinary chook.
"She's already got a few songs written about her and I've received fan art."
All chickens great and small
From baby balls of fluff to old boilers entered in memorial (after flying off to the big chicken coop in the sky), this was a showcase for all breeds, bodies and abilities.
There were fluffy chooks, skinny chooks, chic chooks, haute couture chooks.
Chickens you probably never imagined existed.
Chooks who swim and chooks who swing.
So. Many. Posers.
A far crow from being a beauty pageant, this competition was a celebration of diversity.
"People are just so excited that any chicken is beautiful," Ms Russell said.
Next Top Rooster crowing for glory
Kelly Gan never planned to have a rooster.
Now a little Belgian d'Uccle-cross called Harold lives in her house and goes with her to work at a Melbourne vet clinic every day.
He wears a nappy when he is inside. Sometimes he even wears a tutu.
Harold came into Ms Gan's life when he was dumped on the side of the road, unable to walk.
She nursed him back to health, and could not let him go.
"He's got a lot of character," she said.
"He'll let you know whenever there's food on the floor. He always makes an excited noise and he tries to bring it over to you and drops it in front of you to try and get you to eat it.
"He's just full of love."
Harold still can't walk like other chickens.
Ms Gan thinks his disability might be long-term. She's planning to get him some shoes to help.
"You can get them online," she said.
"You can get nappies and all sorts of crazy things like little harnesses and stuff.
"You'd be surprised what crazy chicken people can come up with."
There's just something about chickens
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, more people started building their backyard flocks.
Ms Russell and her husband Adam already had a "crazy chook family" by then.
In 2019 they started a business in the Noosa hinterland, distributing backyard chicken supplies, catering to a growing demand.
But what is it about chickens that really gets the feathers ruffled?
"Everything," Ms Russell said.
"You get the egg so you get the benefit of something you can actually eat that's healthy for you, but they're so gentle the kids can have them, they have different personalities.
"They're really funny, quirky little birds who just bring joy."
