Meet Peanut, A 21-Year–Old Chicken and World Record Holder

Finally old enough to drink, this bantam hen had a rough start to her record-breaking life.

Who is she? Peanut is a 21-year-old hen who has spent her days on a farm in Waterloo, Michigan. Earlier this year, she was crowned the world's oldest living chicken by Guinness World Records, and was recently profiled in The Washington Post.

For context, the average lifespan for a chicken is around 5-10 years, but it can vary a lot.

And Peanut didn't have the easiest start in life. Her guardian, Marsi Parker Darwin, told All Things Considered's Mary Louise Kelly the story of how she was abandoned by her mother shortly after hatching from her shell:

As it turns out, Peanut was missing a part of her beak in development called the egg tooth, which allows chicks to break free from their egg.

From then on, Peanut was nursed to health, and taught how to chicken by Parker Darwin, who runs Darwin's Eden, a farm in Waterloo.

What's her secret to a long life? Aside from regular TLC, Parker Darwin isn't quite sure.

She treats her hundreds of birds with plenty of attention and care, and makes sure they have a nutritious diet.

But she admits it is possible that Peanut may have gotten some special treatment, due to her unusual personality.

"Peanut was definitely a favorite, partly because she didn't think she was a chicken," Parker Darwin said. "She would jump into my arms every chance she got. She liked to ride in my pocket if possible."


Source: nprillinois.org
Photo Credit: gettyimages-suriyasilsaksom