Double/triple yolkers

[Phage]

I have a special request:
I image eggs with MRI and am looking for double or even triple yolker eggs to image and write up in a scientific journal. No one actually knows much about what happens in this situation, shared blood supply, orientation, why they fail to hatch, and developmental abnormalities etc. With MRI you can see into the egg while it is developing, and at several time points.

Any egg from any species at any stage of development would be AWESOME. Peafowl, chickens, anything. So if you have set any that have failed to hatch PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT THROW THEM AWAY: SEND THEM TO ME!! I will pay for shipping of course, and you will be credited for your material/egg in the paper. Also any such eggs that you do not want to set I would be very happy to buy from you. Double yolkers do not travel that well, but I could incubate them here and get serial imaging of development. Worth a try.

Here is a pic of a singleton egg just before hatch. Not much room in there! It has internally pipped, but note how much of the yolk sac (bright areas) is still external to the chick. The yolk does not seem to totally internalize till just before they emerge, which is one reason why "assisted hatches" do not always work out.

 

[redhen]

Very cool! I wish i had some eggs to send you!

 

[Kev]

Any species? Have you tried pigeon fanciers? Double eggs seem fairly not uncommon in pigeons. I remember an article on double yolk eggs and pictures of dead twin embryos removed from the egg after they made it to hatch date but failed to hatch.. it was maybe written by Dr. Hollander or Wendell Levi. Many of them had deformities, like their bodies grew along the eggshell curvature etc. Been out of the fancy for a long time(since early 90's), so I don't know if there have been new articles or discoveries since then.

 

[Phage]

Thanks Kev. Will try anything, and the bigger the egg the better as far as size goes. Makes for better structural resolution

.

 

[Kev]

Double yolker ostrich eggs?

 

[Phage]

Quote:
Bring 'em on!!
Heck, if anyone has an unhatched ostrich or emu SINGLETON that would be cool to image.

They can go in the human scanner

!!

 

[Kev]

I would love to see ratite eggs imaged to compare with chicken/other eggs to see if there's any difference. Ratites are placed on a separate branch & considered slightly more 'primitive' from rest of modern birds. Plus emu have such little wings, wonder if this affects their body positioning in the egg etc.. as chicks also make use of their wings to move around in the egg at hatching time.

Wonder if broadbreast turkeys produce double yolkers? They seem to be bred for very high production.. figure there are more egg oopsies with those as a result, including doubles? Would also be good for larger size eggs than chicken eggs for imaging.

Good luck!

 

[evonne]

phage, i have a large number of pullets coming up to POL withing the next few months... probly aug and sept wouldn't be a good time for me to ship... they'd start incubating on he tarmac.. lol...
but mid sept i'll start watching for double yolkers.... is this work for you? or personal?? because if it's work, and you HAD to drive to vegas to pick up some eggs, that would be a bussiness trip so it would be tax deductable... rofl...

i only saw 1 double yolker in the last year with my hens from last spring, so who knows when i'll see another, but i'll keep you in mind when i see a suspiscously large egg....

 

[Phage]

Quote:
Hey Evonne, Thanks so much. September would be excellent.
It is kind of for work, but research even in universities is like being self employed! So without a grant it is out of my pocket (or another project's budget

). Thing is eggs hatch by the million each day and we really have very little idea of what actually happens, in vivo, in ovo. I hope to change that!!
Will have a few papers out soon. Maybe then the National Science Foundation will give me a grant to do it properly!!!