Doubles and triples!?!?!?

[HobbyChickener]

ok I have been doing the chiken thing for about 2 years now. I just got my first double yolk a week or so ago. It was one of those eggs that you look at and then look at the chicken and go OUCH! that had to hurt. Looked like it came from a goose. Anyway I cracked it this weekend for breakfast in front of my 7 year old. Not that he has finally stopped asking the 3 million questions it is your turns to answer them. I am assuming that the double and triple yolks come for the same reason that twins in people do, right? Are there ever more than triples? Are there birds that commonly lay doubles? Is there anything that you can do to better your odds?

 

[Guitartists]

someone had posted once that a guy at their farmer's market sold all double yokers, and I believe someone said that some hens can be more prone to laying double yolks.

 

[Matt A NC]

Quote:
If I remember the record books right, I think the record is 7 yolks in a single egg.

Matt

 

[mommy9994]

someone had posted once that a guy at their farmer's market sold all double yokers

That was me. My mother asked the man (she sells candles at the farmer's market), and he said that "all older hens lay double yolks", and that he has all older hens. ahhh, ok, I have 2 OLD hens (3+ years) and I'm doing good to get ANY eggs from them, nevermind doubles! My mother has raised chickens off and on for 70 years, and she hasn't had older hens routinely lay doubles (she thinks the man was full of "hogwash" and doesn't want to tell his secret).--sometimes old hens or new layers will, and some hens just do, the same as some people are prone to twinning. Haven't found the "secret" yet.​

 

[Guitartists]

If you could hatch a double yolker, or somehow hatch ONE of the twins in the egg... would it carry a gene for double yolkers? Is there a way to ensure that one chick lives and one doesn't in order to hatch the egg?? Is that barbaric?

Man I am full of typos today

 

[newnanchic]

I made a strawberry cake this morning with a " double yoker" that we got yesterday. I have only gotten 2 this year so I don't know the secret!!!!

 

[mommy9994]

theoretically, I think it would carry the gene.

There was someone on here that tried to hatch one, and wound up with an abnormally large chick that hatched with help, but didn't survive. I don't know if that was just "one of those things" or if a double yolk egg just doesn't produce a viable chick

 

[sadieH5836]

One of my girls (she's a RIR) has been laying double yolkers. She is under a year old and has just started laying a few weeks ago. I have gotten atleast a dozen so far. Some are "WOW that had to hurt! " sized and some are just bigger than the other eggs I get. I have been wondering if she will continue this or will she become normal like the rest.

 

[ella]

I used to get a lot of double yolkers back when the girls were in their first year. From 3 to 5 a week! They're five years old now, still getting 10 eggs a day but very rarely a double.

That's been my experience anyway.