She's done it egg-ain: Harriet the Hen breaks her own record with whopping 4.5in egg

She's done it egg-ain: Harriet the Hen breaks her own record with whopping 4.5in egg

By Andrew Levy

Last updated at 11:54 PM on 15th June 2010

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After producing one world record-breaking egg, Harriet the hen was probably entitled to a rest.

But just days later, her owner was stunned to find an even bigger offering in her nest.

Now Tony Barbouti is waiting to see if the six-month-old bird will be making a regular habit of it - or whether she simply beat the odds twice and will now lapse back into normal laying duties.

And here's one I made earlier: Harriet the hen surveys her two giant eggs, laid within days of one another

'My son Haythan went out there to the hens and found the second egg. He comes back and says "Guess what? I've got another one",' said Mr Barbouti, 64, a taxi driver from Eastwood, near Southend.

'luckily I kept the first one or I don't think anyone would believe she laid two. It's virtually the same length but it is even bigger across. It's definitely another whopper.'

The first egg, which was laid on June 8, was 4.5 inches long with a 9.1-inch circumference - both measurements half an inch longer than the previous record holder. Hens' eggs are usually 2.3 inches long and have a circumference of 5.5 inches.

Eggstra: The eggs are more than twice the size of regular eggs

It weighed an incredible 5.75oz - still some way short of the 16oz record held by an egg with a double yolk and double shell, however.

Harriet was definitely in need of a little rest afterwards but still went on to produce the latest egg, which was found on Sunday. But the new offering has already developed cracks and Mr Barbouti said he would not risk measuring it.

Mr Barbouti, who is married to wife Jacqui and has two children, has been keeping hens for 30 years and feeds them mash and vegetable peelings.