Hatching Twinsies

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't fault people that discover 2 embryos well into the process.
What else are you going to do at that point? Perhaps if discovered early, it could be hard boiled and fed back to the chickens.
If someone knowingly sets a double yolk is another issue.
That egg should be enjoyed with some bacon and home fries.

Thanks for your comments. You raise Pendesencas? How fun. We got a couple of Welsummers last year and love the eggs! But the candling will sure be next to impossible. Can you at least see the air space on the eggs when they are developing? Do you ever sell any eggs for setting?
We also don't set eggs from first year hens as we want the eggs to reach full size before setting. We have moved and have a smaller chicken yard and smaller flock but we plan to hatch a few this year and have 4 breed pens set up. While we won't breed the Welsummer hens this year we are breeding the Welsummer roo with a very dark green egg layer. Should be interesting Since we got chickens over 20 years ago we have hatched about 1300 chicks, learning lots and lots along the way.

I can see the air cell and if I have fresh batteries, I can sometimes see movement of the embryo.
I kept a green egg laying EE with one of my Penedesenca flocks. Her daughters laid some nice olive eggs.
I do sell hatching eggs and chicks. Black Penedesencas have become my favorite and the only breed I raise any more.
I had Welsummers which got me interested in other dark egg breeds. The Welsummers didn't handle our heat well. I lost one in a summer it stayed well over 100 for weeks.
By the way, on another note. I crossed a welsummer hen with a penedesenca rooster imagining what a nice egg the offspring would lay since both parents came from extremely dark eggs. It didn't work out as planned. Apparently the pigment genes cancelled each other out and they laid a very pale brown egg on a par with Orpingtons or JGs.

 

[Deryk]

Hi Deryk, I am in Clay County Alabama. Formerly in Chambers County. We are up near the Talledega forest and loving it!

Nice, I have a house in Enterprise from when I was stationed at Fort Rucker. I love Alabama. Sorry about the loss of such a beautiful rooster.

 

[Kat C]

I had Welsummers which got me interested in other dark egg breeds. The Welsummers didn't handle our heat well. I lost one in a summer it stayed well over 100 for weeks.
By the way, on another note. I crossed a welsummer hen with a penedesenca rooster imagining what a nice egg the offspring would lay since both parents came from extremely dark eggs. It didn't work out as planned. Apparently the pigment genes cancelled each other out and they laid a very pale brown egg on a par with Orpingtons or JGs.

Well I hope our Welsummers do better than yours. We had some Marans once and they all died fairly young. We thought it might be inbreeding. After several crossings their offspring lived much longer but of course had lighter eggs. Fascinating about the Welsummer penedesenca cross...Their dark must be on different genes. May be in contact with you about eggs.