Egg processor Ali Greene noticed one peculiar egg “moving differently” on the conveyor belt during a shift at Fenton Farm Eggs.
She later discovered that finding such a perfectly round egg is an incredibly rare event, with odds of “one in a billion”. Intrigued by her find, Ali did some digging and found out that a similar egg had previously sold for £200.
Now, she’s set to auction off this oddity on March 18 in Exeter, aiming to donate the proceeds to charity.
Ali remarked, “I have no idea what chicken it is. I don’t even know why a chicken would lay a round egg.”
The 57-year-old was inspired to keep an eye out for round eggs after hearing about their scarcity on the radio.
On December 17, her vigilance paid off when she spotted the unusual egg among the 14 million processed annually at the farm, which often sees oddly shaped eggs, including Malteser-like ones. However, this was a first for the farm.
Ali mused, “I could have spotted one [round egg] in my past three years but I was never looking for one,” adding, “I have to work for another 13 years to find another rare egg.”
Upon learning of the potential value, Ali, who volunteers for Devon Rape Crisis, decided to put the egg up for auction to benefit the charity.
“I have to take to the auction house and I am absolutely terrified if I drop it.” she said.
“It is wrapped in rock salt to keep it preserved.
“I am hoping to make £200 from it – the main thing is that the charity raises money.”
