Huge egg, 1 chick...did it absorb 2 yolks??

[b2c2chicks]

Is this possible? Had a massive egg as part of our shipped eggs...set it, development was good. Left for work this morning and it had pipped during the night. By the time I got home today, I could see where it had struggled trying to unzip, and there was no movement (I could see inside through the pip).

I took it out to see what was up, fully expecting 2 dead chicks. Instead it was one extremely large, perfectly developed in every way, no sogginess, etc. upon further examination, it’s abdomen was huge. It had absorbed everything but it was like there had been 2 yolks and the chick itself had grown as large as the egg. We tried the dry hatch method this time around and seem to have had better results. Yet I still can’t explain the giant chick, or why it died...

 

[ChickNanny13]

Could you post some pictures, please ... What breed is the chick?

 

[b2c2chicks]

A white bresse. It’s hard to gauge size by the pictures, I really need to set it next to another deceased chick but I don’t have another one yet (fingers crossed I don’t have anymore dead chicks!)

The one it came from is the big one on the bottom left. Two of the smallest ones hatched...but again, the chicks all seem to have big mushy bellies so maybe it’s nothing to do with absorbing two yolks.

 

[b2c2chicks]

This was the first hatch where I also used my own eggs to compare against shipped eggs. This is the 7th batch I’ve hatched from this particular breeder, and the living ones all had mushy bellies and/or rough navels, and the dead ones didn’t seem to absorb the yolk fully.

I noticed tonight, none of my own have this. Is this something caused by shipping eggs? Or possibly a bacteria from the breeder’s flock?? Until now I had chalked it up to too high humidity, but I no longer think that’s the case.

 

[ChickNanny13]

No clue but let's ask for some that may ....

@sylviethecochin @Texas Kiki @WVduckchick @Pyxis @Alaskan
Thank you in advance for your expertise

 

[sylviethecochin]

To start: yes. It is possible for a chick to absorb two yolks, and even to absorb a dead twin, if it happens early enough in development. But if this is a persistent problem, then I doubt it's what happened here.

Do you track air cells throughout development? I know you said the eggs from your flock hatched fine, but just for the sake of eliminating possibilities...

And here is my main suspicion: Those eggs are much dirtier than I prefer to incubate. Have you ever heard of yolk sac infections? They result when bacteria is absorbed through a porous shell and start growing in the yolk.

The fact that those chickens are laying such dirty eggs points to poor management, IMO. I do get dirty eggs myself, especially in the spring, but if it persists, my flock is unhealthy, and I start doing things about it. I don't sell eggs for incubating, but if I did, I wouldn't be selling those. Do all the eggs you order from this breeder look like that? I'm thinking his hens are infected with a bacteria that they're putting on the surface of your eggs. That's being absorbed and infecting yolks.

Maybe start sanitising before incubating.

 

[Alaskan]

Those eggs are much dirtier than I prefer to incubate.

Maybe start sanitising before incubating.

I agree, especially with the 2 points I quoted. Dirty eggs is a likely culprit. Also sanitizing the eggs before hatch is extremely helpful.

And somewhere there is a great chart that lists possible causes for specific incubation issues.

Too late now, need to sleep...

But if you (or someone else) can't find that chart by tomorrow afternoon I will search it up and post it.

 

[BlueBaby]

I agree that the egg's look pretty dirty. Dirty egg's can cause bacteria to grow during incubation.

 

[Melky]

Here are some articles that may help: You do need to really start with clean eggs first to avoid illness. It may be as simple as that. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-eggs-just-21-days-from-egg-to-chicken.47696/

I would go down the checklist here to identify any other problems.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-failure-to-hatdiagnosing-incubation-problems.67011/

 

[WVduckchick]

The belly has that green tint too, which usually means bacterial infection, so I have to agree with the others.