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ANIMAL

Farmers crack own record with ‘world’s biggest egg’

Two weeks ago, a German chicken-farming couple thought themselves lucky when they discovered a sizeable 184-gram egg - until their hen laid an even bigger one.

Published: 15 March 2016 16:23 CET
Farmers crack own record with 'world's biggest egg'
Farmer Günther Meyne shows off his huge egg. Photo: DPA.

A couple in Lower Saxony who farm chickens “as a hobby” were pleasantly surprised a couple weeks ago when they came upon a 184-gram egg in their coop – more than twice the size of an average jumbo chicken egg.

But this week Ingrid and Günther Meyne were amazed to discover an even bigger egg – this one weighing 209 grams and dubbed by DPA news agency to be perhaps the largest egg in the world.

Ingrid and Günther Meyne show off their huge egg. Photo: DPA.

The Natural History Museum of Braunschweig nearby now wants to put the egg on display, said museum scientist André Koch.

So, what is the secret to the oversized ovals? It remains a mystery. The Meynes say they nourish their ten free-range chickens with a normal feed of vegetables and grains.

The chicken breeders are still not sure which hen plopped out the now famous egg, though the green colour of its shell suggests it came from an “Easter Egger” chicken, according to Koch.

While this egg may not break the Guinness World Record egg – found in the US in 1956, weighing 454 grams – Koch said that it stands out in Germany. He explained that the museum had record of just one other egg similar in stature in the 1900s.

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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