Hen laying double yolk eggs on a regular basis... should I worry?

[CentralOregon]

It won't harm the chicken but it will mean that she will have less eggs to lay in her life so, eventually, she'll run dry. However, there isn't much you can do about it, it is a thing she and her body will have to sort out.

Given that you have over 3,000 posts on this site, I would assume you're not new with chickens. On the other hand, your comment above makes me wonder. Chickens do not "run dry". Chickens come into the world with all the ova they will ever possess, which numbers in the hundreds of thousands. A hen's supply of ova will never run out over the course of her lifetime, even if she laid 100 eggs a day. What DOES happen is simply that the reproductive system tires out and quits working with age; it has nothing to do with her running out of ova/eggs.

 

[postman44]

The only thing to worry about is when they stop laying double yolkers. My girls have been giving me double and triples for a while but now they have gone back to normal laying. The doubles and triples were delicious and were exciting to find and tell people about. It is a rarity and treat to have hens lay doubles so enjoy it while it lasts. I read it's somehow related to their developing egg laying ;and only lasts a short time with young hens. That nails it for mine as they only gave me them when they started laying.

 

[ashleybabii07]

We have a hen that lays up to three doubles a day...yes, a day. We know it is the same hen because we have her banded and she always lays in the same spot. Poor girl will flap around to drop them sometimes. Great for making brownies or cakes ill enjoy the oddity while it lasts.

 

[CentralOregon]

We have a hen that lays up to three doubles a day...yes, a day.

Do you, by chance, live near a nuclear power facility?

 

[BriColie]

I was starting to wonder the same thing as two of my six newly laying chickens are giving us 2-3 yolks per egg I guess we'll just enjoy them while they last

 

[BriColie]

Do you, by chance, live near a nuclear power facility?

LOL ;P

 

[KAJAM416]

I have six RIRs and two of them consistently lay 1-2 double yolkers a week. Weirdly they seem to lay them on the same day every time (a female cycle in synch?) They are perfectly healthy and the only problem is everyone in my family fights to eat them. I wouldn't worry unless your chicken shows signs of illness.

My easter egger and RIR laid their first double yolkers on the same day too! It was -27 out. Now, a month later, just the RIR will throw out a double yolker every now and then. So weird!

 

[studiozuzi]

One of my sweet young hens (hatched Sept 2010) is laying a double yolk egg 2-3 times a week and this has been going on for a few weeks now. One of her eggs was actually a triple yolk... that one freaked me out a bit!
Sure it's kindof neat to get these big eggs and all... but honestly I'm concerned about the hen. She seems completely happy and healthy... but, I can't get over thinking this can't be good for her. So I'm wondering if anyone has had any experiences like this... or any suggestions on how I can maybe help her lay normal single regular sized eggs. I worry.

I have 5 roof top free range silky fowls in the city. The youngest one started laying 3 weeks ago and every single egg has been a double yolker. That would be 4-5 eggs a week. Her diet consists of a range of healthy oats, wheat,corn,meal worms,bonitia flakes, herbs, crickets and organic veggies and fruit. SPOILED.I simply thought that healthy well fed chickens lay the double yolkers... just saying ;-)

 

[mscarole]

I have a question for seasoned chicken farmers. I am just a hobby farmer because I have a tractor chicken coop and I can only have up to six chickens at a time, which is fine with me. I have six chickens right now and four of them are just starting to lay. They are about 20 weeks old so they are pallets. One of my golden sex link chickens laid a double yolk egg last week, and today she laid another double yolk egg.

My question: In human females, some women drop two eggs almost every month. A friend of mine had a set of twins two times in a row. Her doctor told her that her chances of having twins again would be 90% because some women, like her, drop two eggs almost every month. Could this possibly be true in chickens? Has anyone ever read a study on this phenomena? Has anyone had a chicken who continues to lay double yolk eggs after they are older?

 

[mscarole]

By the way, this is my fourth set of six chickens in the last five years and I have never had a double yolk egg from any of those previous chickens, even when they were pullets.