The World’s Oldest Chicken Lives Right Here in Michigan

Located in Waterloo, Michigan is where you'll find the world's oldest chicken named Peanut.

See Also: The Oldest Person to Ever Live in Michigan Died 8 Years Ago

Peanut is a really old chicken when compared to others that normally only have an average lifespan of 5 to 10 years. Even a domesticated chicken can only live to be 10 to 12 years old.

Well, Peanut is no average chicken. After being abandoned by her mother, she now holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest chicken in the world.

How old is Peanut?

According to NPR, Peanut is a 21-year-old hen who has spent more than two decades on a  farm in Waterloo, Michigan.

Marsi Parker Darwin (Owner/Guardian):

Her mother had hatched several chicks and was busy with them and the egg was cold, and I assumed dead. So I walked down to our pond to pitch it in the water where it wouldn't attract animals. And just as I was about to pitch it into the water, I thought I heard a noise, and I held the egg up to my ear. And sure enough, the egg was chirping — and against all odds, because I'm sure it had been sitting in the nest for at least a day. It was cold to the touch, but somebody was alive and well inside. And so I just decided I had to peel it out, and so I did.

How Old Was The Oldest Chicken Ever Recorded?

The Guinness world record for the oldest chicken ever recorded is held by Muffy, a red quill-muffed American game chicken. Muffy died in 2011 at the age of 23.

Even though Peanut has arthritis and falls over from time to time, there's a chance she could beat out Muffy for that title.