nick
October 1st, 2009, 06:42 PM
A farmer in New York state has revealed how a recently deceased hen left behind an impressive legacy - an egg weighing almost five ounces.
Chris Schauerman, of Honeoye Falls, said he noticed one of his chickens appeared ill one day last week.
The hen, named Roberta, died later that night but not before it had laid six eggs, including one that was two and a half times the normal size.
"I just couldn't believe it. You open up the chicken coop, and sitting inside the nest with five other eggs is just this behemoth," said Mr Schauerman.
“I came up to the chicken and nudged her. She was barely able to pick up her head before it fell back down to the ground.”
The farmer is convinced that it was the effort of laying such a huge egg, which has been christened Little Roberta, that proved too much for the hen.
"We kind of related it to a woman having a 25-pound baby, if you do the math,” he said. “I'm pretty sure that's what eventually led to the death of the chicken."
Mr Schauerman said the egg will briefly be displayed to local schoolchildren before he makes it into an omelet.
(source here) (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6248940/Hen-lays-monster-egg---then-dies.html)
Chris Schauerman, of Honeoye Falls, said he noticed one of his chickens appeared ill one day last week.
The hen, named Roberta, died later that night but not before it had laid six eggs, including one that was two and a half times the normal size.
"I just couldn't believe it. You open up the chicken coop, and sitting inside the nest with five other eggs is just this behemoth," said Mr Schauerman.
“I came up to the chicken and nudged her. She was barely able to pick up her head before it fell back down to the ground.”
The farmer is convinced that it was the effort of laying such a huge egg, which has been christened Little Roberta, that proved too much for the hen.
"We kind of related it to a woman having a 25-pound baby, if you do the math,” he said. “I'm pretty sure that's what eventually led to the death of the chicken."
Mr Schauerman said the egg will briefly be displayed to local schoolchildren before he makes it into an omelet.
(source here) (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6248940/Hen-lays-monster-egg---then-dies.html)