Easter came early for one stunned family after their pet chicken laid this gigantic egg – the size of a small rugby ball.
Mum-of-two Jaclyn Robson, 33, was shocked when she went into her coop on Friday March 1 and found the enormous egg – which weighs a hefty 175g (6.2 oz).
The family keep eight chickens and believe it was an 18-month-old rare White Sussex hen called Rosie who laid the massive specimen.
Remarkably, the egg, which is three times bigger than a normal one, measured six inches (15cm) high and five inches (12cm) round.
School administrator Jaclyn now believes she may have one of the biggest eggs ever laid in Britain.
But incredibly, the family have already disposed of their amazing find by having scrambled eggs for tea last Thursday.
And in another rare occurrence as well as containing a normal yolk and white – the egg also had another fully formed egg inside it.
Jaclyn, who lives with her husband Warren, 36, and their children Joshua, six, and Lewis, five, in Northampton, said: “It was a complete shock to find it. It’s enormous.
“It was on its own. I don’t think the other chickens dared to lay near to it.
“They’ve got two coops. This egg was in the bit where they sleep rather than where they lay eggs which was weird.
“It’s unbelievable. The chickens have laid big eggs before but nothing like this. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“It’s like a little rugby ball – which is fitting for the Six Nations at the moment.
“I broke it on Thursday night. I cracked it and there was one yolk and one white. But there was also another whole egg in there with its own shell.
“It was weird, but I cracked that too and we had scrambled eggs.”
Jaclyn took the huge egg to show her colleagues at Pitsford School, in Northampton, last Monday.
She added: “The kids were amazed. They are only little so it was great for them.
“I haven’t noticed any difference in Rosie since. The chickens are great. They are funny little things.
“I hope one of them can lay another egg like this.
“They are just pets really. I sell the eggs on to family and friends but might have to put up my prices now I’ve got a famous hen.”
* The heaviest egg reported to have been laid by a hen weighed a whopping 454g (16 oz) and had a double yolk and double shell.
A Guinness World Record spokesman confirmed it was laid by a White Leghorn hen at Vineland, New Jersey, USA, on February 25, 1956.
