Hatching Double Yolk Eggs

[FarmerKayy]

I have been trying to hatch double yolk eggs and I am wondering if anyone has been successful at this and has any pointers for me? I have found some great info on here but all the threads seem to be over 10 years old so maybe there has been more attempts or hatches sine then. I am on day 21 of my second batch and I am nervous haha.

 

[nuthatched]

Have you candled recently? Usually in double yolker eggs, neither chick survives or one survives but is missing formed. I can only think one case where both chicks survived but one died the day after.

 

[FarmerKayy]

Have you candled recently? Usually in double yolker eggs, neither chick survives or one survives but is missing formed. I can only think one case where both chicks survived but one died the day after.

I candled at lockdown. Out of the 8 I started with only 3 made it into lockdown. Some seem to just not be fertile and others die early on but 2 of the 3 remaining seemed very promising and the 3rd was too hard to tell. The eggs are dark colored and shells are thick so it is hard to see what is going on.

I have also placed a double yolk egg under a couple hens to see if they have better luck and when one got off her nest the other day the double yolker was still there. When I opened it there were two equally large twin chicks in there and they had even pipped into the air cell but I think the hen left them too soon and they were shrink wrapped

 

[rascal66]

I have read about people doing it successfully(?) But I have attempted to do this several times and had no success. They would die half way through incubation, and it seems to be highly unlikely to be able to successfully hatch 2 live healthy chicks. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to attempt this, but do not expect them to hatch it both be alive.

 

[nuthatched]

I candled at lockdown. Out of the 8 I started with only 3 made it into lockdown. Some seem to just not be fertile and others die early on but 2 of the 3 remaining seemed very promising and the 3rd was too hard to tell. The eggs are dark colored and shells are thick so it is hard to see what is going on.

I have also placed a double yolk egg under a couple hens to see if they have better luck and when one got off her nest the other day the double yolker was still there. When I opened it there were two equally large twin chicks in there and they had even pipped into the air cell but I think the hen left them too soon and they were shrink wrapped

It's much more likely that the chicks couldn't move to start zipping the shell. (breaking through)

 

[FarmerKayy]

I have seen that most don't make it and it seems like I am in for a road of heartbreak here but just for some back story I will explain my "why" for this project.

I have had a few hens that lay giant eggs every now and then and they are always double yolked. My 84 year old dad said one morning "You wanna know something I have always wondered, but I think I have run out of time to find out? I have always wondered if it's possible to hatch twins from a double yolk egg." So I ordered the incubator. I had been wanting one but hadn't pulled the trigger on it but when my dad, who doesn't do much outside of work with his animals, admitted to some sort of bucket list idea that I can try to do with him I decided to do it. Quarantine has not been nice to him and has ruined his daily routine coffee visits with the few friends he has left. He may not have any friends left by the time this is all over since some of those few have died since quarantine began. So his whole day revolves around being on my ranch and with my twins and I and I thought this would be a cool group project to attempt.

Also I remember my Grandpa, who raised LOTS of chickens in his lifetime and taught me pretty much everything I know, bragging about one of his hens who had 12 eggs and hatched 13 chicks. That story has lived on through a few generations so I am hoping to be able to give my dad some of that excitement.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Lovely story. Can't wait to see if they hatch.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

How did your hatch go?!

 

[FarmerKayy]

How did your hatch go?!

No double yolkers hatched
But about ten minutes before I read this a single egg that had been left behind by a hen and I had put into lockdown with my double yolkers just hatched! I have been holding off opening the eggs because I could see signs of life in this one egg so once this little guy is fluffed enough to go to the brooder I will investigate what happened to the doubles.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Sorry they didn't hatch. I was rooting for ya.