Has anyone ever seen twin chicks hatch? I've seen double yolks in eggs before, and I've wondered if they would turn into twin chicks. Is this possible? It doesn't seem biologically possible from an egg. What is up with those double yolks?
Do double yolks mean twin chicks?
- Thread starter SproutGirl
- Start date
hmm - good question.
Yes, double yolks will develop into two chicks, however, we (BYC) have yet to see a successful hatch due to problems with them getting out of the shell. So far, the few folks here that have attempted have lost them
When you attempt to help a chick hatch, it can often backfire... and doubles cannot hatch on their own
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- Aug 1, 2008
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I'm still a n00b, but have been reading up on the subject voraciously. Everything I've found says that double-yolks aren't viable. If you think about it, isn't the white there for nutrition as the chick grows inside the egg? If so, then the double-yolk eggs, not having the room for double-white, would - at best - produce two very malnourished chicks not capable of survival. Or so I would think. Feel free to point out the flaw(s) in my thinking.
It is possible to hatch them, just VERY VERY rare.... there have been several attempts here, and some recent claimed successes, but without the photo proof of two babies hatching from one egg we would like to see to call it 'legit'.
If you decide to incubate a double yolker, please do THOROUGHLY document the hatching process....
If you decide to incubate a double yolker, please do THOROUGHLY document the hatching process....
- Jun 15, 2008
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Several have made it to hatching so it should be possible but so far noone has gotten them out of the shell successfully.
I did know of 1 guy that successfully hatch a double yolker. 1 chick was much larger, but both survived. He had photo proof, including the egg as it pipped on both ends. As adults the birds looked the same and the smaller one did catch up in size to the other.
Normally 1 chick will die either during incubation or at hatch. When it dies the decay contaminates the egg. If left too long the 2nd chick dies. That is or course if they have enough room to develop in the first place.
They can also grow together or 1 can partly absorb the other. This is where you get conjoined twins, 2 headed birds, or a bird with extra limbs.
I would guess that less 5% of double yolkers have a chance of hatching. 1% or less would produce 2 healthy chicks.
Matt
Normally 1 chick will die either during incubation or at hatch. When it dies the decay contaminates the egg. If left too long the 2nd chick dies. That is or course if they have enough room to develop in the first place.
They can also grow together or 1 can partly absorb the other. This is where you get conjoined twins, 2 headed birds, or a bird with extra limbs.
I would guess that less 5% of double yolkers have a chance of hatching. 1% or less would produce 2 healthy chicks.
Matt
A few weeks ago, I saw an article about wild birds (swallows) that were attached. They had made it through hatching, but died later. They said it must have been double yolks. But whether they would all (double yolks) be attached or separate...hmm.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/5897986.html
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/5897986.html
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Nation Geographic has changed this story a bit. Anyway, here's the link http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/07/080723-twin-swallows.html .
Nation Geographic has changed this story a bit. Anyway, here's the link http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/07/080723-twin-swallows.html .
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- Apr 1, 2014
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It is possible but very rare. It's best to help them hatch out of the eggs. But do it very carefully
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