Meet Pearl, World's Oldest Chicken Still Defying The Odds
Pearl's proud owner, Sonya Hull, revealed that she hatched the hen in an incubator at her Little Elm house in Texas on March 13, 2011. She added that Pearl was the smallest of the lot.
"Hens have a pecking order and she was the lowest one ever since she was born," said Ms Hull, adding that other hens have always been after her.
When Pearl started to show her age, the family decided to take her out of he chicken coop and allowed her to live out the rest of her life inside the house.
"She's been through a lot in her long lifetime," said Ms Hull, joking that the fame had not gone to Pearl's head.
"She doesn't seem to be fazed by it at all."
Pearl's daily routine
Despite the Guinness record, Pearl spends most of her days lodged in Ms Hull's laundry room, where she snuggles a mop, which seemingly is her best friend. She also gets along well with the other two animals in the Hull house - an ageing cat, and a new kitten the family found in a parking lot.
"She doesn't seem to mind the other animals, and the kitten will sometimes sit with her," said Ms Hull.
Pearl ventures outside in the Sun to fluff her feathers every day, but the heat does not allow her to be outdoors for long.
"Due to her advanced age, she cannot walk very well, but she can scoot and tries to stretch her arthritic legs and claws," said Ms Hull, adding: "She's defied all odds because most Easter-Egger Hens live an average of five to eight years."
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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Meet Pearl: The oldest living Chicken in the world who enjoys wandering in sunshine!
Pearl (Photo: Guinness World Records) There are many species of pets, and all are special to us, but some animals manage to leave an unforgettable mark, not just because of their breed or beauty, but because of the stories they carry. Sometimes, it's not the fluffiest dog or the most exotic cat that steals the spotlight, but rather a simple creature that surprises everyone simply by beating the odds. One such animal is Pearl, a tiny chicken from Texas who's proving that age is just a number and that exceptions are always there. While most domestic chickens live between 3 to 10 years, Pearl has gone much beyond expectations and turned into something of a celebrity. Pearl, the longest living chicken At 14 years and 69 days old, a little hen named Pearl from Texas has officially earned the title of the world's oldest living chicken, according to Guinness World Records. Hatched on March 13, 2011, Pearl has lived far beyond the average lifespan of her kind, which typically ranges between 3 to 10 years. Her proud owner, Sonya Hull, shared that Pearl was incubated at her home in Little Elm, Texas, and was always the tiniest of the flock. She survives despite many hardships in her life Pearl (Photo: Guinness World Records) Despite her rough start and a series of health scares, including a broken leg, arthritis, chickenpox, and even a raccoon attack, Pearl continues to live. When she began showing signs of aging, the Hull family brought her inside to live out her golden years in comfort. "She's been through a lot in her long lifetime," Ms. Hull told Guinness World Records, joking, "The fame has not gone to Pearl's head. She doesn't seem to be fazed by it at all." Today, Pearl enjoys a peaceful life indoors, spending most of her time in the laundry room, where she cozies up with her unusual best friend, which is a mop. She also shares the space with two feline companions: an older cat and a rescued kitten. Pearl (Photo: Guinness World Records) "She doesn't seem to mind the other animals, and the kitten will sometimes sit with her," said Ms. Hull. Every day, Pearl soaks in some sunshine and stretches her legs and fluffs her feathers, though walking is now difficult due to her age. Still, she tries to scoot around and stretch her arthritic claws. "She's defied all odds because most Easter-Egger hens live an average of five to eight years," Ms. Hull shared proudly.
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
Meet Pearl, World's Oldest Chicken Still Defying The Odds
Domestic chickens have an average lifespan of three to 10 years, but 14-year-old Pearl from Texas, USA, appears to have defied the odds. Having overcome a broken leg, a raccoon attack, arthritis, and chicken pox, Pearl clinched the Guinness World Record for the oldest chicken in May this year at the age of 14 years and 69 days old. Pearl's proud owner, Sonya Hull, revealed that she hatched the hen in an incubator at her Little Elm house in Texas on March 13, 2011. She added that Pearl was the smallest of the lot. "Hens have a pecking order and she was the lowest one ever since she was born," said Ms Hull, adding that other hens have always been after her. When Pearl started to show her age, the family decided to take her out of he chicken coop and allowed her to live out the rest of her life inside the house. "She's been through a lot in her long lifetime," said Ms Hull, joking that the fame had not gone to Pearl's head. "She doesn't seem to be fazed by it at all." Pearl's daily routine Despite the Guinness record, Pearl spends most of her days lodged in Ms Hull's laundry room, where she snuggles a mop, which seemingly is her best friend. She also gets along well with the other two animals in the Hull house - an ageing cat, and a new kitten the family found in a parking lot. "She doesn't seem to mind the other animals, and the kitten will sometimes sit with her," said Ms Hull. Pearl ventures outside in the Sun to fluff her feathers every day, but the heat does not allow her to be outdoors for long. "Due to her advanced age, she cannot walk very well, but she can scoot and tries to stretch her arthritic legs and claws," said Ms Hull, adding: "She's defied all odds because most Easter-Egger Hens live an average of five to eight years."
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Time of India
Lifesaving Heroes: How Fishermen on Velankanni Beach Are Rescuing Tourists from Drowning
SAFE AND SOUND: Helping Hands, a team of 20 trained fishermen, has been saving lives since 1997. Pic R Baskar For about three decades, a group of fishermen has been saving lives on Velankanni Beach, so much so that the coastal security force calls them their 'first response arm' in emergencies. It's a movement, says P Antony Franklin Jeyaraj, that was born out of a moment of helplessness. In the summer of 1997, Jeyaraj, then a 27-year-old social worker from Velankanni, watched in shock as three tourists were swept away by strong waves. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai 'Family members were crying beside the bodies,' says the 55-year-old. 'I kept wondering, could they have been saved?' Jeyaraj then began thinking about a lifesaving service and that was how 'Helping Hands' was launched with a catamaran and a couple of fishermen. Today, the team has 20 trained fishermen, motorised boats and a permanent booth on Velankanni beach. 'We can now reach out to people in seconds,' says Jeyaraj. S Selvamani, a fisherman for more than 40 years, was among the earliest to join the Helping Hands lifeguards. Selvamani lost six of his family members, including his father and elder brother, in the Dec 2004 tsunami. 'I was traumatised seeing my family being taken by the sea. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Surprising Benefits of This Sweet Little Fruit — You'll Want to Eat It Every Day! Learn More Undo A year later, I told myself I would not let anyone else die like that again,' says the 58-year-old who now trains younger guards. Two decades ago, saving lives from drowning was riskier, says Selvamani. There were no megaphones to issue warnings, no boats with motors. 'We would stand chest-deep in the sea for hours, blowing whistles and shouting to keep people from going too far. When someone was in trouble, we would just rush in to save them.' S Vivek, a fisherman from Velankanni who has been a lifeguard for more than 10 years, now leads the Helping Hands team. He's been going to sea since he was 16. His day begins at 3am with fishing, and once he is done selling his catch by 9am, he is on the beach till 6pm, on lifeguard duty. 'People panic when they're swept away. They fight the waves and get exhausted. When we reach them, they sometimes try to pull us under,' says the 37-year-old. Another major problem, says Vivek, are intoxicated swimmers. 'They ignore warnings and flail around in panic. Rescuing them is hard. It is sometimes easier when they start to lose consciousness,' he adds. Most people rescued are rushed for medical aid, and the team performs CPR until the ambulance arrives. 'The failed rescues take a toll on us mentally, especially when it's children or teenagers,' says Vivek. Footfalls at Velankanni peak during Christmas, Easter, New Year, and the annual St Mary's Nativity Festival, says S Arputharaj, parish priest at the Velankanni Shrine Basilica. 'Helping Hands is a big support in those times, especially with thousands visiting the beach every day.' Last Sept saw footfalls of more than a million people at the Velankanni Shrine Basilica. 'It is so overwhelming during the festival days that we now close access to Velankanni beach during the annual St Mary's Nativity festival,' says K Ramesh Kumar, inspector from Tamil Nadu Police's Coastal Security Group. Ramesh says police consider 'Helping Hands' as their first response arm during emergencies, like the community initiative 'Friends of Police' (FOP). The lifeguards say they do not remember the names of those they have saved. 'Sometimes, people we have saved recognise us. They come up, remind us of what happened, and thank us. That's our reward,' says Selvamani. Email your feedback with name and address to
