# Double Yolks



## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

I heard bee once say that regularly laying double yolks is bad for a chicken, but I am regularly getting them. I want to know if its really that bad.


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## lttdoming (May 31, 2013)

I'm curious about this too.
I have a new layer that 2 out of her 1st four eggs had double yokes.

One would think they will run out of eggs early in their life. They only have so many....


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## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

Any help?


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

I THINK she was saying that it reduces the longevity of their laying. Like a Leghorn lays a lot of eggs a year but declines quickly after 18 mos or so. I took it as they only lay so many in a lifetime and they can lay them all now or spread them out over a a longer period of time. I don't remember which thread it was though. 
Maybe Bee will help out.


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## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

Thank you guys! I wonder if Bee has even seen this thread.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

What other characteristics do double yolkers have besides twin yolks?


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## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

Nothing really. I have a pic.

View attachment 11877


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Can you lay a single yolk egg next to that one and take a pic? You might start to see the differences....


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## SilkieBoy (May 4, 2013)

Can you incubate a double yolk egg?


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## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

This has been discussed recently. Click the link under this. 
Hatching double yolk eggs


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

There is a reason most eggs are about the same size and shape...that is the size and shape that comes out of an oviduct easily and without cramping/trauma to the adjacent structures and without putting too much stress on the oviduct itself.

Consider this diagram a moment....










Now, this doesn't show the fat layers that can collect around these organs and around the vent, especially, but that is where a hen stores a lot of fat...particularly some breeds, but most laying hens have some fat in this area.

A twice as large egg coming through the canal of the oviduct and out that vent over and over in a hen's life is not conducive for keeping structures for egg laying intact, not the oviduct nor the vent and can even cause prolapse of part of the rectum.

Just like the average wt of a human baby is around 7.5 lbs. and the normal woman's reproductive organs and birth canal can usually handle this size of infant...imagine the same woman having 3-4 babies around 14 lbs.

Imagine the stress and damage to the structures around her uterus and vagina...she will probably need some surgeries for repair along the way so she won't be peeing herself every time she coughs or sneezes, or if she wants to have unobstructed bowel movements.

So, though those big ol' eggs are a novelty and look cute next to regular eggs in the carton that won't close and really cool in the skillet...they aren't a good thing for the hen and her laying longevity, nor her comfort levels.

Her laying can be quite painful as a very large egg has to edge past her digestive tract, pubic bones, fat layers, fecal matter in the rectum, etc. as it stretches an oviduct that is not designed for that size of an egg and will come out a vent not designed for that size of an egg either.

Eventually she will have prolapse of the oviduct, possibly of the rectum, and possibly die from being egg bound if she is not culled for these problems.


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## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

Bee said:


> There is a reason most eggs are about the same size and shape...that is the size and shape that comes out of an oviduct easily and without cramping/trauma to the adjacent structures and without putting too much stress on the oviduct itself.
> 
> Consider this diagram a moment....
> 
> ...


I cannot cull all my hens though! What can I do to help fix this problem?!

I feel so defeated!


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## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

Help!!!!!!! ::


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Itsacutefuzzball said:


> I cannot cull all my hens though! What can I do to help fix this problem?!
> 
> I feel so defeated!


There is no "fix" for this problem. Some breeds are becoming genetically predisposed~by the hatcheries breeding more for pet quality than laying quality, or for production and a short life~ to have this problem.

Don't buy those breeds...no matter how much you think they are pretty or sweet. There are plenty of pretty and sweet breeds that do not lay double yolks.

Try not to overfeed them...this will help keep fat deposits down around the vent. You can provide true free range...that means they range all day long for food, not for entertainment. Just feeding once a day in the evenings will help get them out on the range. Free ranging provide exercise to keep those fat deposits down and will exercise the muscles associated with supporting reproductive organs.

You can watch for signs of difficult laying, prolapse and abnormal ovulation patterns during peak laying season, and cull(kill and process) for this to prevent suffering and death later.

Avoid feeds with soy as the source of protein, if you can. Soy can increase the bird's natural hormone levels in some cases, causing early sexual maturity, irregular ovulation, etc. If you cannot avoid these feeds, try to free range for most of their dietary needs and just supplement with those feeds each evening.

These are all things you can do to help get your flock along for as long as possible.

Who knows? Some birds have roomy abdomens and big ol' vents and can handle double yolks for awhile and can last a couple of years and even beyond that..but it's rare.

What breed do you have that is having double yolks? Buff Orps or Golden Comets?


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## Itsacutefuzzball (Mar 16, 2013)

Barred rocks, dominiques, and leghorns.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

ALL of them??  You might look to your feeds...soy proteins? Two of those breeds are not typical for double yolks and the leghorn isn't either until it's older and getting to the end of laying cycle, though it happens in high production breeds at times when even when they are younger.


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## InnKeeper (Feb 17, 2013)

Itsacutefuzzball said:


> Barred rocks, dominiques, and leghorns.


I too have a Barred Rock that lays double (and occassional triple!!) yolkers at least 2-3 times per week.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Wowza!! What kind of genetic soup are they mixing in those hatcheries?  Not typical of that breed...it can happen, but it's not typical.


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