Just started laying, I keep finding double yolkers!?!

[Silkie Man]

Fellow poultry lovers,

At least one of my Golden Comet pullets has started laying. I keep finding eggs that have two yolks and I'm starting to wonder if this is normal. The first egg was a double and was beyond normal size. The birds are laying rather large eggs as well, compared to ones I have seen in the past. My flock is being fed a layer's blend also. Anyway, does anyone know or have experience with a consistent supply of double yolk eggs? (about 75% of the ones I get are doubles...) I haven't ever heard of this happening so frequently. Input? Thanks!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

There's a few things that cause large eggs. Egg size is dependent upon the size of the hen when she starts laying. If your hens put on a lot of weight before they started laying they will larger eggs. Another is the amount of protein they are getting. It sounds like they are well fed. If they are only eating a layer ration in cooler weather they are getting a surplus of protein that they are using to create larger eggs. If you want the egg size to come down you can supplement some scratch. It will give them the extra energy they need without the extra protein.

 

[Silkie Man]

Thanks-- That sounds good. Any ideas about the double yolks though? Would the larger egg size be causing this?

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Yes. How large are your eggs? I don't know how many of our jumbos (2.5 - 2.75 oz) are double yolkers, as we sell them wholesale with the rest of the eggs. Anything larger than 2.75 oz we can't ship to the egg processing plant so we sell them off the farm and people have told me that almost without exception they are all double yolkers.

 

[catwalk]

A young hen's body is still gettin' it together the first six weeks of laying. You may find all kinds of anomolies, and most are considered normal. Wonky eggs beyond that aren't good. Just consider these giant eggs as payback for waiting so long for them to start laying...

 

[chris_m90731]

double yolks...mmm, yummy. thats not something to complain about--thats something to breed into more chickens!

 

[jeslewmazer]

I would not worry. I had one game hen that would pop out those BIG double yolkers. She was a great hen and lived a long time. She ate the same mix feed as all the others but theirs were all average size. She never even had blood on these eggs. But she did lay normal sized (about medium) eggs when she decided to have chicks. Strange!!!

 

[cap1717]

Quote:
Yes. How large are your eggs? I don't know how many of our jumbos (2.5 - 2.75 oz) are double yolkers, as we sell them wholesale with the rest of the eggs. Anything larger than 2.75 oz we can't ship to the egg processing plant so we sell them off the farm and people have told me that almost without exception they are all double yolkers.

You have answered for me, a question that I have had for a long time! Thanks. My brother runs a B&B in Virginia, and gets "double yolk" eggs from a neighboring farmer. . . they are huge and they are all double or triple yolks! I have wondered what kind of hens are laying these eggs, and how they are fed and cared for. . . so they must be getting them from someone like you who is selling off the ones too big to ship!