Re: Double Yolks

The message <452f432a$0$8742$ed2619ec@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
from "Jill" <news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> contains these words:

Steve Newport wrote:
We keep four of a cross called Black Rock and the birds have been in
lay for about three months or more now. Excellent eggs and quite often
we will get huge ones with double yolks.

Never see these in commercial pack so I assume they get sorted out.

However, what causes the souble yolks? Is it something over which you
can exert an influence if you wanted double yolks?

Its not desirable in the commercial world as it strains the birds and
halves
the potential number of eggs you will get from the individual
Its not common in Black Rocks but you obviously have one bird with the
tendancy to pick up two ova as she starts her egg making

We used to keep a commercial hybrid Warren X Studler (unrestricted
free range, optimum conditions, excercise and feed; no artificial light
or heat in their night hut). Particularly sturdy hens would often
produce a lot of double yolkers in their first lay, and even triples.

When they started their second lay season the doubles rapidly decreased
and older hens just produced single yolkers. We still got a phenomenal
number of eggs per bird, and they usually laid all through their first
winter . Of course, a hen can't keep that up long and they had a short
natural life span (3 yrs if they were lucky ) compared to the 10 years
I've known in old-fashioned breeds.

The first sign they were about to turn up their toes, was eggs with no
yolk at all; and/or eggs enclosed in a membrane but no shell.

In around 20 years, I only once had a hen which prolapsed. So,
although double yolkers may be a strain on hens living in commercial
conditions, it doesn't seem to have a negative effect on the health of
commercial hens which are living the life of Reilly in the old
fashioned natural way.

Janet
.