Meet Peanut: The oldest living chicken in the world calls Michigan home
CHELSEA, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - At 21 years old, Peanut is the oldest living chicken in the world. And she has a Guinness World Record to prove it.
Peanut lives in Chelsea, Michigan, with her owners, who have had her since birth.
Her owner, Marsi Parker Darwin, said the way Peanut entered the world is just as remarkable as her long life.
After her siblings hatched, her egg remained in the nest, cold to the touch.
Darwin said she let the egg be for a couple of days but decided to toss it in the pond behind her house.
"I was just about to throw her egg in the water, and I heard a little cheep," said Darwin.
Peanut lived in the house before moving outside with Darwin's other birds for 15 years. Darwin and her husband have more than 100 birds on their property, including peacocks, chickens, ducks and guineas. Some of the birds were rescued.
The average lifespan of a chicken is five to 10 years.
Despite her old age, Peanut is in good shape and enjoys socializing and being outdoors.
Darwin said she didn't give Peanut's age much thought until a friend pointed it out.
"I never paid attention to how old she was," she said. "I mean, she'd just been around forever. But, a friend who moved to California couldn't believe that Peanut was still alive after 18 years, and that's when we started doing the math … we had other clues to her age. Another friend urged me to apply to Guinness, so I did."
Six months after applying for the Guinness World Record, the Darwins were notified that they supplied a sufficient amount of evidence. Peanut was declared the oldest living chicken when she was 20 years old.
They received a certificate from London and framed it with one of Peanut's feathers inside.
"On her 21st birthday, Senator Sue Shink came to the house and delivered this tribute to Peanut signed by the governor, and we were pretty thrilled with that birthday present," said Darwin.
Darwin said the oldest living chicken on record was 23 years old. She hopes Peanut will live until then and long after that.
"People ask me: 'What's the secret to her longevity?' And we say, 'love,'" she said.
