Eggs & Contents
Double Yolkers
When we discover a larger than normal sized egg we think double yorker,not all abnormally large eggs are double-yolked.
What causes double yolkers?
When an egg starts its journey inside the hen, the first thing formed is the ovum in the hen's ovary. This grows and the colour changes from pale grey to the yellow we know as the yolk colour.
Once it reaches full size, the yolk sac breaks away (ovulation) and begins a journey down the oviduct where the egg white (albumen) and the shell form around it.
Normally, the next ovulation is triggered by the hen laying the egg but occasionally things go wrong and two yolks are released at the same time to travel down the oviduct together, being surrounded by one shell and giving us the double yolker.
Twins
If the ovums are fertile the double yolked egg will contain two chick embryos but there will not be enough space for them to develop to hatching. Unfortunately twins from the same egg rarely hatch.
