A Michigan hen named “Peanut,” who held the Guinness record for the world's oldest recorded specimen, died on Dec. 25 when she was 21 years old.
The owner announced this in a long publication on her animal blog.
“It breaks my heart to tell you that my Peanut passed away on Christmas morning,” Marsi Parker Darwin wrote in her post.
The animal died in its sleep in its owner's arms, reports the New York Post.
Ms. Darwin, a retired librarian, raised her chicken from birth to the time she cracked an egg until she died.
“I have so many years of memories with her and it’s something that makes me happy,” she says.
Marsi Parker Darwin
The animal benefited from an active lifestyle that included lots of physical activity and a diet that included yogurt with vitamin D in addition to fruits and vegetables.
Peanut received the title of world's oldest chicken in January 2020, aged 20 at the time.
Since then, the owner has spent much of her time highlighting her animal's story, primarily through media interviews.