- Published: Oct. 01, 2023, 8:00 a.m.
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CHELSEA, MI – Marsi Parker Darwin lives on a small farm with her husband Bill Darwin that’s filled with ducks, peacocks and plenty of hens.
And one very old chicken named Peanut.
Around 21 years ago, Darwin was checking on her hens when she found an egg that had gone cold. She thought the chick inside had died, and went to the pond outside of her home to toss the egg in.
Before she could throw it, however, she was interrupted by a noise – a small chirp.
“I held it up again closer to my ear and it chirped again, and I couldn’t believe my ears,” Darwin said.
She realized the chick was likely born without an egg tooth, which is part of a chick’s beak used to get out of the egg. So, she gently helped peel the chick out of the egg, and was met with a brown, speckled bird she named Peanut.
Little did Darwin know, this bird was going to stick by her side for many years. In fact, Peanut is now a world record holder.
In January, Peanut was crowned as the world’s oldest living chicken by Guinness World Records. She was 20 at that time and turned 21 in May.
“I really wasn’t paying attention. I just knew she’d been around a long time,” Darwin said.
The average lifespan for a bantam hen is roughly five to 10 years, according to officials at Michigan Allied Poultry Industries. Darwin doesn’t know what to attribute Peanut’s long life to, but her best guess is love, she said.
Experts seem to agree.
“While there have been significant advances in animal health management, Peanut’s story far exceeds that of any other hen that we are aware,” MAPI Executive Director Dr. Nancy Barr said. “Major kudos can be attributed to the family who takes care of her. It is clear that she has received great housing, considerable attention and decreased stress, which has likely contributed to her lifespan. Peanut is an inspiration to us all.”
Darwin raised Peanut, as she was abandoned by her mother once she hatched. She was cared for inside the home, where she received lots of blueberry yogurt and hugs from Darwin.
While she stopped laying eggs when she was 8 years old, Peanut had plenty of her own chicks. She has outlived most of them. One named Millie is still alive at 15 years old, however, Darwin said.
Peanut did eventually live outside with the other chickens, but after a decade she decided she wanted to return to her life as a house chicken. Today, she lives inside a living room coop with Millie.
While Peanut looks more ruffled than she used to, she’s still the same little chick. She loves to sit on Darwin’s lap and play outside.
Darwin describes her as sassy and independent. Peanut is never shy, especially when it comes to chirping and posing for a camera, Darwin said.
“Some (chickens) are real aggressive, and some are real shy, but she’s just always been a fun, pleasant little chicken,” Darwin said.
The idea that Peanut was a Guinness World Record holder for being the world’s oldest chicken never crossed Darwin’s mind. But some friends pushed her to apply.
Darwin spent several months digging up old photos and getting witness and veterinary statements before Peanut was proclaimed the record holder.
Darwin also has written a book about Peanut’s life entitled “My Girl Peanut and Me — On Love and Life from the World’s Oldest Chicken,” which can be purchased on her website.
Darwin hopes she has many more years with Peanut. She also hopes people are inspired by her story. Darwin believes Peanut asking for help out of the egg has led to the chicken’s longevity.
“I mean, what a great lesson, if we all would take that to heart,” Darwin said.
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