# Double yolks



## mcchicken (Mar 24, 2013)

Hey all. Question one of my hens just started laying. And she is consistently laying double yolks everyday. The eggs are huge. Is this a defect? Will she burn out faster?









However they are delicious hard boiled with salt and pepper.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Yes and yes, though some breeds are more prone to it, so it would seem it is "normal" for them, it isn't a desirable trait for longevity and consistency of lay. It is fun to get them, though, because they are such a novelty. 

Golden Comets are known for double yolks, as are some strains of BO. Older leghorns in the end of their laying life can start this type of abnormal ovulation as well. 

The larger eggs can, over time, cause prolapse and internal laying issues, particularly if the bird is a hatchery stock BO, as they tend to overeat and lay on fat around the reproductive organs that make it hard for the large eggs to deliver past. 

The increased ovulation causes increased laying burn out as well.


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## mcchicken (Mar 24, 2013)

Thanks. Yeah she is a production red. I know Golden comets fall under that category.


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## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

Well my older hen started leaving giant double yolked eggs. She hardly lays at all now... I'm wondering if I should cull her. How good is a chickens meat at that age?


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

It tastes like...chicken.  They actually have a more rich flavor and darker meat, though it can be tough, it can be softened with marinating. I've BBQ old hens on the grill and no one could tell them from the young roosters I was grilling the same day.

All were eaten and carried away and I barely even got a sniff of that chicken that day! 

Most folks like an old hen for stewing for soup as they impart such a rich flavor to the soup...if one is used to store bought, they often do not like the nutty flavor of an old hen but country folk don't think it tastes like chicken unless it tastes like that.


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