Matilda (chicken)

Matilda
Hatched1990
DiedFebruary 11, 2006(2006-02-11) (aged 15–16)
Known forWorld's oldest chicken
OwnerKeith and Donna Barton
AwardsInduction in to the "Alabama Animal Hall of Fame"

Matilda (1990 – February 11, 2006) was a fourteen-ounce (400 g) hen, and the first chicken to receive the title of World's Oldest Living Chicken from Guinness World Records. She is thought to have been descended from the Red Pyle color variation of the Old English Game breed. She was a pet of Keith and Donna Barton of Bessemer, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama.

Matilda's name was taken after the Australian folk song "Waltzing Matilda", and given to her as a result of her penchant for stepping side to side (as if she were waltzing) against the wire panels on the sides of her cage.[1] Unlike most hens, Matilda never produced eggs. Her veterinarians believed Matilda's lack of egg production contributed significantly to her extraordinarily long lifespan of sixteen years.[2]

Another contributing factor to Matilda's longevity was her having lived the majority of her life indoors, inside a large wire cage, where she had a stable, protected environment year-round.[3]

  1. ^ Barton, Donna (2006). "Matilda". Mort The Mystifying and Donna. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  2. ^ Montana, Chris (May 19, 2004). "World's Oldest Chicken". WBRC-6 News at 5:00 pm.
  3. ^ Carter, Cindy (June 22, 2004). "Oldest Chicken". WTTO-21 News at 9:00 pm.