Double Yolkers

[ladysierra]

Is it fairly normal for pullets to lay many double yolkers? I found three so far and they have only been laying maybe 4 weeks.

Also, What is everyone using in their coops? Straw, hay, pine shavings? What's the best overall to use?

 

[Silkies and succulents]

I use pine shavings and change them out, every 4-6 months and in winter lay down more shavings and at the beginning of summer shovel everything out (by myself cause everybody else in my house is “busy”)
Some new layers will sometimes lay eggs double yolks and some with none. They can also lay tiny or big eggs. One of my Red sexlinks started with tiny eggs with itty bitty yolks, and her doppelganger has been laying 2.7 oz with occasional double yolks. Chickens lay all types of weird eggs. Enjoy the double yolks!

 

[3KillerBs]

Some double-yolk eggs are normal with new layers who are working the kinks out of their system.

Also, What is everyone using in their coops? Straw, hay, pine shavings? What's the best overall to use?

I like large-flake pine shavings best because they don't mat together and last longer than any other option I've tried (I use deep bedding, adding another layer every week or 10 days until it's too deep to add more and too dirty to leave alone).

That said, I often add some pine straw, which helps keep the shavings from packing down, and right now I have a layer of straw on top because the string on one of the bales I intended to use as a wind baffle broke so I had a bunch of loose flakes available.

Chickens love to dig in and mess with the straw, but I find that it only lasts half as long as the shavings before it gets dirty/smelly.