Lady MacDuff breaks the egg record

Text: 

In 1916, as the nation prepared to join a World War, AES poultry scientists celebrated history when a hen named Lady MacDuff laid a record-breaking 303 eggs in one year. The news immediately filled telegraph wires. A full-page story was printed in 24 major Sunday newspapers across the U.S. and Canada and translated into even longer articles in France, Germany, and Scandinavia.

Poultry science has continued to make headlines throughout the century, most recently with work by Gita Cherian, whose research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids give chicks a head start, increasing survival and a better bottom line for farmers. In addition, her research suggests that feeding hens conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) enriches eggs and can increase human antioxidant activity, helping people rid the body of cholesterol and fats.

Dates: 
1910
Media Image: 
hen Lady MacDuff
Credit Text: 
Courtesy OSU Special Collections & Archives.
Caption Text: 
Record-breaking hen Lady MacDuff. Lay on MacDuff! (Photo courtesy OSU Special Collections & Archives.)