Double-Yoker Fertility

[TigerLilly]

I have begun to consider the possibility of incubating some of the eggs my hens lay. I know my roo is doing his job because I've been checking for fertilization when I crack them open to cook them. (I learned how to check it on BYC

)
My question is regarding double-yokers...I get them quite a bit, but have been eating them. I have also started looking at the yokes to see if both are fertile, but from what I've seen on the last 2 eggs (I ate or gave away the others, before I learned how to check fertility), only ONE of the yokes is fertile.
My questions are:
Is that how they are all going to be--one fertile & one not?
Do double-yokers ever hatch out twins?
Has anyone tried hatching out dbl-yokers?
Should I not even bother & just enjoy the eggs?

Thanks!

 

[grandmaof5]

There are some who have had luck hatching double-yokers. Try doing a search, it might show up there... I don't think the survival rate is good, though.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I saw it on you -tube once, it was someone on here that posted it

 

[thebirdguy]

We had a few hens when I was a kid that consistently laid double yolk eggs but we never hatched any.. I would imagine that it is a rare but possible occurrence.. Here's a video of twin chicks hatching from a double yolker..

http://fallen-leaves.net/forums/general-discussion/twin-chicks-hatch-from-double-yolked-egg-t26049.html

 

[debilorrah]

While it is possible, it is not a good idea, because usually they come out deformed and never live long. The video that is posted is an extremely rare case.

Keep eating them!

 

[TigerLilly]

Good idea, Debi! I take comfort in the fact that the cholesterol is not as bad in MY double-yokers as compared to commercial single-yokers...if it's not true, DON'T TELL ME...
it's my fantasy & that's what I'm going with!

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:

 

[duckyfromoz]

TigerLilly.. I only recently set a double yolker egg form one of my ducks. I wasnt going to ...but after sitting on the bench for 15 days...I was about to throw it out...but on some whim I popped it into the incubator- not even expecting anything to happen. Well I can tell you that I got such a shock to see both embryos started!! Sadly the story doesnt have a happy ending...They died just after one was starting to pip. So da for them to get to day 27 of incubation and there was nothing I could do at that stage to help them with so much blood still in the veins. It was an interesting experience- and part of me is still glad I did it even though they didnt make it.
Last year I got one in a set of shipped eggs- I didnt know it was a double yolker at first- but with that one nothing happened.

 

[TigerLilly]

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you, Ducky. I think I'm just going to keep eating them. I don't have the heart to go through all that to watch them die, especially after hearing the chances of it working out not being very good.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
X2!!

Also, even if it works (and it's VERY rare that it does) they won't be anymore twins then the chicks from the same hen and rooster hatched at the same time. Two seperate yolks fertilize by two seperate sperm = fraternal twins. Not really any different then if they had a seperate shell as well.