Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[NYREDS]

I don't know. But one time I bought a dozen eggs at the store and all 12 were double yolkers.

I trust that was before you got your Sussex. I'd hate to think they don't keep you in eggs.

 

[hellbender]

Just wondering, is there something in the diet that causes a hen to lay double yolkers or is it strictly genetic? Assuming she ever lays a single yolk egg and you hatch a pullet from it, would that pullet be more likely to lay double yolkers or is there something that can be done to keep her from going that direction?

I doubt it, unless you are feeding fertility drugs...

in my experience, it pullets that are most prone to lay doubles but I've seen it in older hens but not so commonly.

 

[crazyhen]

I am not sure on the genetics but I do know people who have flocks that do not have just pullets and they lay double yolkers. Maybe its like humans in that it may run more in one strain than the others. I do not want them. I am sure they would blow out worse.

 

[ronott1]

I am not sure on the genetics but I do know people who have flocks that do not have just pullets and they lay double yolkers. Maybe its like humans in that it may run more in one strain than the others. I do not want them. I am sure they would blow out worse.

On one of the hatch a long threads, double yolks was discussed. The conclusion was that it was genetic. Someone posted that they know of an Amish Farmer that had figured out a Hybrid cross that produced double yolk laying hens.

You would have to do it that way since they do not hatch well.

 

[Beekissed]

No, I was not thinking a shorter bowel was a problem, I was thinking a longer bowel was a problem and the answer might be a supplement program which would promote more and longer villi growth ( which in this case also resulted in a shorter small intestine which the researchers couldn't explain). I was thinking a longer small intestine might be the "excess offal" breeders say to avoid. That in breeding for proper amount of offal, maybe a related answer to that was to also help grow longer, and more villi at the same time.

I get where you are coming from here....the longer bowel would be an adaptation to the need for a longer time for food to be in the digestive tract to break down and achieve nutrient absorption.

Is it wrong to conclude that if a bird is given an easy to digest diet ...with proper supplements to encourage growth
of villi and to promote proper flora & bed sentiment in the small intestine.. that the bird does not require as long
a small intestine as one fed a poorer diet without supplements?

If what Gjensen has said about the article was being measured was the difference between the amount of fecal matter produced by birds that put on weight better was less than those that did not build meat on the same ration, one could possibly conclude that the one that is absorbing more nutrients from their feed has a shorter, more effective small intestine compared to the less effective, longer ones that could be held by the birds that produced more offal and less meat. But I'm not sure if that would hold water. I would think there would have to be studies done on that due to all the variables.

It could all come back to the villi length adaptation to the types of feed or even the genetic predisposition for some birds to already have long villi in place as opposed to a long or short linear bowel.

Or it could be as simple as this: Say the bowel epithelium is like a piece of paper. If you fold the paper into small folds to make an accordion, the length of the paper shortens. If you fold the paper with the accordion folds larger, the visual length of the paper grows even shorter. As the villi get longer, maybe they scrunch the bowel shorter to accommodate that change as one is born with only so much bowel length and if that bowel wall changes it will have to use whatever length it has to adapt to the change....the taller the ridges, the shorter the length. The shorter the ridges~or accordions~the longer the length. In reality, both bowels are the exact same actual length if one could straighten out the accordion folds~but bowels are not paper, they are living tissue.

Just wondering, is there something in the diet that causes a hen to lay double yolkers or is it strictly genetic? Assuming she ever lays a single yolk egg and you hatch a pullet from it, would that pullet be more likely to lay double yolkers or is there something that can be done to keep her from going that direction?

I think consistent double yolks are genetic, while sporadic, age or weight related double yolkers are not. If she was a consistent double yolker from the beginning of her laying life, I'd think it would be fair to say she could/would pass that trait along genetically. Golden Comet birds are notorious for this trait and some get them especially for this.

 

[brahmabreeder]

I do not believe its the diet. It would likely be genetic. I would not try her as a breeder for that reason, unless you want a future double yolker layer. You would still not be able to hatch easily a double yolker. They usually die.

Actually, I did try to hatch a double yolker from her. It made it until the end but I think since the other one failed to develop it just wasn't able to hatch properly. I don't necessarily want more double yolkers( although for a layer coop that would be great! ) but she has great type minus her tail which could be wider so I'll continue with her.

She doesn't always lay double yolkers, I do get regular eggs. It's just that she lays more than the occasional sporadic double! I have one of hers in the fridge. Let me see if I can find the picture of the egg she laid last year when she was a pullet.

Double...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Doubles almost never make it so shouldn't be tried. Not enough nutrition for 2 birds, not to mention space or oxygen.

Just enjoy eating them.

 

[hellbender]

Doubles almost never make it so shouldn't be tried. Not enough nutrition for 2 birds, not to mention space or oxygen.

Just enjoy eating them.

I keep hens that sporadically or consistently lay doubles in the laying flock but their eggs are never used to brood. I don't fault pullets who lay the occasional double but that usually peters out...

Other than the precocious pullets, I pretty well convinced there's a genetic component.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Doubles almost never make it so shouldn't be tried. Not enough nutrition for 2 birds, not to mention space or oxygen.

Just enjoy eating them.

I figured I had nothing to lose so I just went ahead and tried to see if I'd hit the jack pot and be one of few to get them to hatch.

 

[3riverschick]

I trust that was before you got your Sussex. I'd hate to think they don't keep you in eggs.

Yes, it was before the Sussex.
Best,
Karen