What chickens can lay two-yolk eggs, reasons and how to solve the problem
Many people are faced with such an anomaly as double yolk in the process of cooking. The owners of the chicken coops are happy about this phenomenon and believe that this is a huge plus in the farm, but experts say otherwise. You should figure out which chickens usually lay two-yolk eggs and whether it is worth starting to worry about laying hens.
How to tell a chicken egg with two yolks
It is almost impossible to visually distinguish an egg containing two yolks. There are several signs that can be used to identify such a deviation, but such verification will not guarantee accuracy:
- The size, such an instance is one and a half to two times larger than usual.
- Weight, the parameter is easily measured using conventional food scales. An ordinary egg weighs from 50 to 70 g, and the weight of a two-yolk egg varies from 100 to 110 g.
- The shape, compared to the rest, the product is more oblong.
For the most accurate determination, it is better for an experienced farmer to use a special device for translucent eggs - an ovoscope.
Important! The calorie content of one two-yolk egg is twice the usual one.
Norm or deviation?
Some poultry breeders claim that the presence of two-yolk eggs indicates excellent productivity and high fertility of chickens. Others - unconditionally consider this an anomaly and, upon finding such a product, they threw it away, and the hen was calculated and sent to slaughter.
According to laboratory studies, you can eat eggs with two yolks if the chickens are completely healthy. They are endowed with the same qualities of taste and are beneficial to the body as one-yolk. If, during the disclosure, blood clots and other foreign bodies were detected, then during use, unforeseen consequences in the form of infectious diseases and severe allergic reactions may occur.
The presence of two yolks indicates a hormonal failure in the layer.
They are not suitable for incubation, since none of the embryos survives. The first will die even in the process of growth, development, due to lack of space, and the second will begin to feed on the resulting decomposition products and will also not survive. In special factories, many experiments were carried out to obtain chickens from defective eggs, but none of them gave positive results.
Why chickens lay two-yolk eggs
There are several factors that can serve as the source of the formation of a two-yolk egg. The reason is the age of laying hens, hormonal disruption due to poor-quality care, as well as the development of diseases.
Laying age
Eggs with two yolks are mainly found in young layers that have just entered the stage of puberty. At this point, the maximum amount of hormones that provoke an increase in fertility are produced.
The activity of chickens deteriorates over time, as the tone of the genitals decreases.
During this period, due to hormonal disruption and pathologies, laying hens can produce such a product.
Hormonal Supplements
In poultry farms, chickens are bred exclusively for industrial purposes. In a short time, it is necessary to achieve the maximum amount of products in order to obtain a stable income. To speed up the onset of puberty, to increase the rate of productivity, hormonal preparations are added to the feed for the layers. With the improper use of additives and their excessive use, hens begin to lay two-yolk and even three-yolk eggs due to abundant stimulation. Hormone-rich eggs are unusable and hazardous to human health.
Important! If two yolks are found, reduce or completely eliminate the introduction of harmful additives into the feed. After 1-2 months, ovulation will normalize and recover..
Diseases
Poor and untimely care of the chicken coop can cause dangerous diseases. There are many infections in the dirt and droppings, and a humid environment only improves their development.
Several important rules should be followed:
- Process the room periodically with slaked lime.
- To wash and disinfect not only feeders, but also drinkers.
- Clean up in the hen house 1 hour after feeding.
Layers that have contracted the infection can be recognized by certain signs:
- uneven and fragile shell;
- the presence of growths;
- a thin shell with dents, cracks;
- when opening blood clots and other atypical substances;
- disgusting smell.
Such a product is strictly prohibited for use in food.
Hormonal failure in a laying hen
Also, the cause of the appearance of two yolk eggs can be hormonal disruption. It can occur in such cases:
- unbalanced diet;
- poor quality food, excessive or insufficient nutrients;
- unsuitable conditions for living in the chicken coop;
- sudden changes in temperature, very hot or cold weather;
- stress, fear.
The factor that provoked hormonal disorders in the chicken must be excluded.
How to solve this problem
If double-yolk eggs are a recurring occurrence, it is recommended that the problem be addressed depending on the cause. Send old hens to slaughter and replace them with new representatives.
Hormonal disruption can be easily restored by putting in order the diet, eliminating all sources of stress. If the cause is illness, identify the sick chicken and show it to the veterinarian for proper treatment.
Which chickens lay two-yolk eggs
There is no specific breed that lays eggs with two yolks. Not a single chicken is immune from this anomaly. In addition to the listed reasons, there can be no other reasons for the development of several yolks.
Why this product in the industry
Poultry farms specifically add a large dose of hormones to the chicken feed in order to achieve a systematic production of two-yolk eggs. Such a product is quite profitable, moreover, it is often used in the processing industry in order to make melange, which is actively used in cooking.