Question about double yolk eggs

[shelleyb1969]

I have a Welsh Harlequin hen who has been laying for about 2 months now...and every egg is a huge double yolker. Will she ever "downsize" her eggs to normal size? And I'm assuming this is a bad thing to have as far as hatching ability?

 

[katharinad]

Double yolkers very seldom make it to hatch. I estimate that is is one in one hundred eggs that may make it to full term. Usually one embryo dies during incubation and poisons the other one. It's best not to try in the first place.
Now to the question why double yolkers? They know that a diet high in protein leads to super sized eggs and double yolkers. That is probably the biggest factor, but there may be others as well. Keep the protein intake to around 17 percent. You can even go down as far as 14.5%, but that may even stop the laying cycle. I say it depends on the duck, and I would reduce it if she produces super sized eggs at 17%. It is stressful to lay such large eggs, and the duck will be so much happier if she can do with smaller ones.

 

[shelleyb1969]

My WHs are fed an 18% feed. This hen's "sister" lays perfectly normal eggs. I definitely wouldn't incubate or sell the double yolkers.

 

[tia]

When they first start laying you get all sizes. You will get some double yolkers that are huge and some little ones that don't have a yolk in them. It evens out and they become uniform in size. At least this is the case with my Indian Runner Ducks.

 

[FenDruadin]

I do think there's some genetic component too--some girls are more inclined to lay double yolkers. But it should even out as she matures. Still, it wouldn't hurt to lower the protein a bit--it's easy to do with rolled or whole oats. You can buy a 50 lb bag for about $10 at the feed store--just cut the feed by 1/4 or so with oats and it brings the protein percentage down.