The amazing phenomenon of double yolk eggs, how they compare to single yolk store eggs, and tips on getting more of these beauties from your hens!
One of the biggest benefits of keeping backyard chickens is that you get to enjoy eggs that you would rarely (if ever) come across buying organic store eggs.
Eggs you generally don’t see in cartons from the store are what’s called “double yolkers”. They are roughly the size of duck eggs!
Another example is eggs with “meat spots”.
Below is a picture of a double yolk egg that one of my newly laying White Leghorn hens gifted us recently.
Note the size of the double yolker compared to a single yolk egg.
These two eggs were laid by the same young hen!
I really hit the jackpot with this sweet bird ❤️
As you can see from the picture above, each yolk in the double egg is roughly the same size as the yolk in the single egg.
Since the yolk is the most nutritious part of an egg (can you believe some folks still throw them out?), you really do get “two for the price of one”.
While I am fortunate to have a hen that is only six months old laying double yolkers, these beauties typically come from older hens.
This is why you don’t see double yolk eggs in the store from industrialized farms even if organically certified.
Hens from mass production farms are normally culled for meat after only a year or so….as soon as their egg production starts to drop or their first molt, whichever comes first, according to what I’ve been told by those in the industry.
The commercial egg industry also prefers eggs from young hens (under a year and a half old) as this ensures uniformity of size for packing/shipping in egg cartons.
Eggs get larger in size with the age of the hen in my experience. Hence, the propensity for double yolk eggs from older birds.
If you’ve never seen double yolk eggs before, why not?
Are you still supporting the industrial food complex by purchasing eggs at the store?
Note that store eggs, even if organic, may be weeks old (or months old if partially frozen in storage) by the time you buy them. In addition, they are washed with undesirable chemicals as this is required in the United States.
Because eggshells are porous, some of this is no doubt getting into the eggs!
Read more details about the scam of organic store eggs and organic egg washing practices at the provided links.
Contrary to popular belief, a nutritious egg is not all about the yolk color, because this can easily be manipulated with feed to fool the consumer if the hens aren’t truly pastured.
I recommend getting your eggs from one of the sources below to ensure legit yolk color and to avoid the toxic practices that are allowed under USDA Organic for mass production facilities.
- Your own backyard coop (best)
- A neighbor
- Farmer’s market
- Independently owned health food stores that source from local egg farms.
You don’t need any double blind studies to see and taste the difference.
Your five senses will do just fine, thank you!
I took the plunge about 13 months ago and started keeping chickens, and I love it! I have never had double-yolk eggs, though. I’ve heard of it before, even a triple-yolk, but even double-yolk is rare, according to my reading. I wish I knew your farmer’s secret! I’m guessing it’s a genetic anomaly. Six of my 20 hens are older (3-4, I’m not sure exactly), and their eggs are enormous, but all single yolks. Very yummy yolks from free-ranging hens who get supplemental organic (soy-free usually) layer pellets and occasional treats from me.
I wasn’t prepared for how much I would love chickens! Now I need to find more egg customers.
I am also looking for local farmers, I am a breastfeeding mom looking for better options than those offered at the supermarkets. How do I get in contact with local farmers? (Tampa bay area)
Oh! I forgot to mention that you can test the freshness of an egg by putting it in cold water; if it floats, throw it out! It should be heavy and stay put or raise up only slightly. Also, if you want to check for fertility, use a flashlight to “candle” them and look at the egg in a dark room. This takes some expertise and training, so at first it will be hard. Anyway, just wanted to share! (:
Sarah, my family has been raising free range chickens for 3 years now and it has been an awesome experience! I get 3 dollars a dozen for my eggs, while feed has gone up from 7 dollars a bag to 11! (People still act like 3 dollars is too high!) I only occasionally have a double yolker, but it really is a treat! The thing that I have wanted everyone to know is that your eggs are PERFECTLY safe if you DON’T wash them! They have a cuticle on them that protects them from everything! I saw a study where a man wanted to see how long his eggs would last without washing and still be good. He kept a dozen in a cool, dark closet for 6 MONTHS and they were still edible! He ate an egg every other week until they were gone! People from Europe have told me that the eggs are on the bread aisle! (Unrefrigerated!) People look at me like I have 2 heads when I ask if they want them washed or unwashed! (Of course, if they are dirty, we don’t sell them!) Wow, have those chickens taught us a lot!!! Thanks for your support!!! We need more farmers and ranchers!!! God bless!
Hi Sarah!
Oh I loved the double yolk eggs that one of our chickens churned out the first year of laying! My hubbie even got a tripple yolk one once! Like winning the lottery! Can’t wait to get them here and see if we can’t strum up that luck again!
Thanks for all your shared wisdom!
The first batch of chickens I ever had included some white leghorns which produced white eggs. As they grew, their eggs got larger, and eventually they produced double yolks. We were so excited! Then, because the eggs were so large, they developed prolapse, and we had to put them down, as there is no cure for this besides surgery. I think the vets were laughing at me after I called to ask what to do for them. No one would help me because it was “just a chicken”. I later found out another woman in our area lost all 72 of her white leghorns from this. I wondered if they were being bred for jumbo eggs, and this frequent double-yolk egg laying was from someone who thought big was better. Not sure if double yolks are good. I am not an expert. I never bought white leghorns again, and never had the problem again.
i live in dubai, and usually i buy the brown eggs. well last week, i got a wonderful surprise! one whole carton of large eggs, all with double yokes! i have never seen that and it was so cool!
Dubai??? How cool is that! Thanks for commenting! 🙂
I just love my international readers!
u r most welcome. i love your site!
Hi Sarah, how do I get in contact with local farmers?
Thanks, Bogdan
I’ve had a few double yolks in the eggs from my farmer, last spring/summer. Hoping I get more this year!
have you ever seen a tripple yolk egg, one morning i cracked a tripple yolk egg and then a double yolk egg after, i thought that was neat, what are the odds?