Great Grandma Anthony and her Record Breaking Chicken
Great Grandma Anthony achieved local fame due to the bizarre phenomenon connected to one of her chickens. This anomaly occurred in 1916 in San Bernardino.
According to the San Bernardino News dated April 18, 1916, Great Grandma Anthony’s Rhode Island Red chicken achieved the “world’s record, it is believed for double eggs.” At the time of this article, the author states, “Now the sum total has been thirty double eggs and she shows no signs of stopping.”
Double eggs yolks, while uncommon, are certainly not unheard of. In fact there have been instances of three or more yolks found in an egg. Guinness World Records substantiated the world record for most egg yolks found in an egg as nine. This happened in 1971 (Guinness World Records). There are no official world records for the most double egg yolks from a single hen, but Grandma Anthony’s chicken certainly seems to be the most prolific. According to www.calendar-Canada.ca, “The odds of getting just one double-yolked egg is one in 1,000, six in a row is one in a quintillion.” With these odds, Great Grandma Anthony’s hen was truly an extraordinary chicken.
Superstitions abound around double egg yolks. However, many people believe that finding double yolks represent good luck. Here’s hoping that the good luck flows down to Gertrude Anthony’s great great granddaughter, Leia, another chicken lover.
You may not know it, but May is National Egg Month. To celebrate, make some Mud Hen Bars (so mud hens are not chickens but the name is fun and the treat is tasty.)
Mud Hen Bars
(This is a version of a recipe that is over 100 years old.)
Ingredients:
¼ cup shortening
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 whole egg
2 eggs, separated
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts – pecans are traditional (optional)
1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
Directions:
Butter or grease a 9- by 13-inch pan. In a large bowl, cream the shortening, butter and sugar. Beat in the whole egg and the yolks of the other two eggs. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Combine the flour mixture with the creamed mixture, blending thoroughly.
Spread the dough into the baking pan, patting with your hands if necessary. Sprinkle chocolate chips, marshmallows and nuts over the dough. In a large bowl, beat the 2 egg whites until stiff. Fold in brown sugar until well combined. Spread brown sugar meringue over top of marshmallows and chocolate chips, spreading to touch the edges of the pan to prevent it from shrinking during baking.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. (Watch closely as oven temperatures may vary.) Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Sources
Briggs, Tracy. “Mud Hen Bars: Not Beautiful, but They Are Tasty.” Dickinson Press, Dickinson Press, 11 June 2019, https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/mud-hen-bars-not-beautiful-but-they-are-tasty.
Can You Get 22 Yolks in One Egg?, https://www.calendar-canada.ca/frequently-asked-questions/can-you-get-22-yolks-in-one-egg.
“Double-Yolk Eggs in Commercial Laying Hens and Parent Flocks.” Lohmann Breeders, https://lohmann-breeders.com/lohmanninfo/double-yolk-eggs-in-commercial-laying-hens-and-parent-flocks/.
Guinness World Records, https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/search?term=double+egg+yolks&page=1&type=all&max=20&partial=_Results&#search-results.
Is There a Triple Yolk Egg?, https://www.calendar-uk.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions/is-there-a-triple-yolk-egg.
“San Bernardino News 18 Apr 1916, Page Page 1.” Historical Newspapers from 1700s-2000s – Newspapers.com, https://www.newspapers.com/image/50300172/?terms=mrs.+john+anthony&match=1&clipping_id=123570199.