Offaly farmer heart-broken after death of record-breaking hen

An Offaly farmer has said he is heart-broken after the death of his record-breaking hen.

Popular Banagher man John Dolan is well-known for his record-breaking hens which have been able to lay unusually high numbers of eggs. This week he told The Midland Tribune that the last of these famous hens died on Saturday evening December 9.

“Her name is Little Chip Marmalade,” said the poultry farmer, “and I am heart-broken. She was only five years of age. She rose to fame on May 16, 2019 when she hatched out 26 chicks. This was a world record, and she was on RTE News, shown with her clutch.”

John said he's going to get her mounted by the highly respected Laois taxidermist Jim Corcoran and will place her proudly beside his three other champion hens who have also died and been mounted, Marmalade, Sally and Ruby.

With tears in his eyes John made a video of himself and Little Chip Marmalade on Saturday. “She is very close to my heart,” said John in the video, “and I found her dead this evening, unexpectedly in my shed. She and her mother Marmalade brought a lot of joy to our house. Little Chip hatched out three to four clutches every year. Most hens only hatch out one or two clutches each year. A dozen eggs is a typical clutch, while her mother Marmalade's largest clutch had 16 chicks. Marmalade hatched 181 chicks from 18 clutches in four years. She was a real superstar. All four hens were superstars; unique.”

Little Chip Marmalade was also known in the Banagher area because of her fondness for Guinness. “She was in a documentary,” said John, “drinking Guinness in a pub in Banagher. She was a bantam fowl from South East Asia. I've had bantam fowls since the 1980s.