Trouble is brewing down on Mrs Tweedy's poultry farm: the chickens are revolting (yes, that old chestnut) and clucky hen Ginger (voiced by Julia Sawalha) is planning her latest coop, um, coup. Getting one or two birds out of the farm is no problem whatsoever. Unfortunately, Ginger plans to get everyone out at the same time, and when one of the would-be escapees happens to be kind-hearted but bird-brained Babs (Jane Horrocks), Ginger is fighting a losing battle.

Despotic owner Mrs Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) plans to turn the birds into the tender filling of her new range of homemade chicken pies, and is waiting until the hens have fattened up. Ginger knows that time is of the essence but every daring scheme ends in disaster. Ginger needs a miracle. And fast.

As she contemplates her next escape attempt with Scottish engineering genius Mac (Lynn Ferguson), Ginger sees their salvation in the form of a rooster named Rocky (Mel Gibson), if the cocksure Rocky can teach all of the hens how to fly then they can all fly out of Tweedy's clutches before she gives them the chop.