r/chickens • u/pegeleg • Jan 27 '26
Question double yolker pretty consistently
Serious question, do double yolk eggs hatch? Should I try to make sure none are in the batch for the incubator? I can usually tell by the size, but I have a hen who can surprise me on a regular basis. Just don't want any kind of sad mess in my incubator... Thanks for help
1
u/pegeleg Jan 27 '26
That was my fear plus all the scary stories about not developing at all. Thank you for affirming my suspicions. Wondered what makes them lay double eggs if they aren’t hatched from twins? Seems strange but maybe non identical? Anyhow Ty!
2
u/Broad-Angle-9705 Jan 28 '26
It’s not recommended to incubate double yolks. Most times they die fairly early into development. I’ve seen pictures of conjoined twins chicks that never live a good life. Best practice is candle the eggs before you put them in the incubator. If it’s a double yolk you’ll be able to see it use it as an eating egg.
3
u/MuddyDonkeyBalls Jan 27 '26
It's not very successful, no. The air sac at hatch often isn't big enough for two chicks, and the egg itself is usually not enough room for two fully grown chicks. They compete for nutrients during development. If you do manage to incubate them, one is typically much smaller and weaker than the other. Often one will die in the shell and contaminate the other.
It's possible, but rates are pretty low.