How do double yolks happen? My mama’s hen, named Bobby Lou, laid a huge egg recently and set me to wondering how she did that. So, I contacted my blog friend, Lara, who works for Minnesota Poultry. She knows all sorts of cool things about turkeys and chickens.
I love getting together with blog friends and learning from them. Please join us!
Here’s what Lara said about double yolks:
“According to the American Egg Board, it’s the young hens who produce most of the double-yolked eggs because sometimes their egg production cycles are not yet completely synchronized. (Those crazy kids – trying to lay eggs willy nilly!)
Can you see the line where the timing got a little too rushed?
“However, it is true that older hens – the ones who produce the extra large eggs – might crank out a double-yolked egg, as well. (Young hens typically lay the smaller eggs and the older they get, the bigger their eggs get.) And I’ve heard that very occasionally, a hen might produce double-yolked eggs throughout her egg-laying career. (You go girl!)”
Thank you, Lara! For sure, a “You go girl!” is in order for Bobby Lou. Look at the size of the egg!
Six inches around its “equator.”
Seven and three-quarter inches around its “poles.” Wow!
After measuring the egg, I asked my Farmer to crack it for me. I don’t know where his egg cracking skills came from (I haven’t seen them in our kitchen ever!), but he sure enough did take care of the work one-handed!
I can’t help but smile at a good man cooking one handed.
There’s the first yolk.
And there’s the second yolk.
Two happy yolks from the same shell!
Thanks for stopping by for a double yolk explanation!
Best,
Emily Grace
What kind of double yolk stories do you have to tell?
