You crack an egg and there are two yolks. For a customer it’s a pleasant surprise; for a farmer it’s a reason to ask whether it is normal and whether a problem lies behind it.
Why it happens
Normally a hen ripens one yolk, which travels down the oviduct and gets its white and shell. If two yolks ripen almost at once, they end up in one egg. Most often this happens:
- in young hens at the start of lay, before the cycle settles;
- in high-producing hens at peak laying;
- when day length changes, as hormones adjust;
- sometimes by heredity: a tendency to double yolks runs in some lines.
When it’s normal
The odd double-yolk egg among ordinary ones is common. If it happens at the start of lay and passes on its own, there is nothing to worry about. Don’t expect chicks from such an egg: hatching double-yolk eggs usually fails, so don’t put them in an incubator.
When to be concerned
Check the flock if double yolks are frequent and come with other symptoms: thin or soft shells, a drop in laying, listlessness, a swollen abdomen. Then see the guides on shells and falling egg production, and show the bird to a vet.
Are they safe
These eggs are just as good to eat as ordinary ones. Taste and nutrition don’t differ.
Can you earn from them
- You can pick out double-yolk eggs and sell them separately — buyers like something unusual.
- But you can’t guarantee the number: you can’t get them to order. Don’t promise customers what you don’t control.
- Candling helps with sorting: a double yolk shows up as a large dark shadow.
What to record
If you want to understand where such eggs come from, note their count alongside the ordinary collection. In EggPulse, egg records by house help you see a pattern — for example a spike after a lighting change or in a young flock.
