Topic: Double yolkers

[B7jac]

Does anyone else have any input on double yolkers? 

I get at least 2 per week from 4 hens, are they, as someone wrote me before, just eggs gone wrong, as I had always assumed that they were like 'twins' and a sign that my hens were eating well and happy to be able to produce them !!

When I cut down on the 'leftovers and titbits' I give my girls (so that they would eat more of the pellets) I had smaller and fewer eggs, so have now gone back to giving them again, (they always seem starved, yet pellets are always available, just greedy i suppose)

What is your hens favourite titbit, mines by far is sweetcorn (either on the cob or lose) they also love pasta and rice. I do give them a mixture of course inc veg and fruit, but would love to know other peoples findings !

[kt.]

Never had double yolks.  My hens get all the outer veg leaves & stuff from the plot that we do not eat.  They get caulis that have blown,  fruit that is off and no longer for our consumption,  bread & just about most other stuff that we do not get to eat that would otherwise go in the bin.  They never get any cooked stuff though..

[teresa]

My idea of double yolkers are from hens that are breeds of egg layers, ie warren, wellsummers, sussex, as they lay huge eggs more so in the second year of laying.  My Rosie is a warren and a old girl now not laying so well, but she would lay double yolkers super they were.
I dont like the idea of just giving them pellets, its like us just eating potatoes, mine love cake and pasta and porrage oats, but have a bit of everything in the afternoons ( I have a bowl in the house and all leftovers go into it soaked with water ) pellets in the morning. Of course the lottie the weeds and greens also grass clippings. Potato peelings cooked twice a week with the leftovers added to it.

[Old bird]

I have had only one double yolker - and that is when my chooks were being fed "extras" by one of my lottie neighbours!

She cooked up vegetable scraps, pasta and all manner of stuff - which they went loopy over and that was the result!  It was a HUGE egg and haven't had a repeat performance - so i decided it must be the extra food!

Old Bird ;D

[Philbasford]

ive had quite a few double yokers over the last few months from my girl whos in her second year of laying, and a big girl she is to!

[B7jac]

Thanks everyone, I am sure now that bigger eggs and double yolkers are definately a result of feeding a lot of 'leftovers' I have a pot in my kitchen where all leftovers (except meat) go for them.  My neighbour sometimes also gives me leftovers, and Im sure she cooks extra veg sometimes !! They also get layers pellets and mixed corn.  I never leave leftovers on the ground and my girls are always 'hungry' for the leftovers, as I wouldnt want them to 'get fat'

Perhaps some of you might want to do an experiment and feed your hens extra leftovers for a while and see if you get some double yolkers !!   

[jonny211]

My chooks are in their second year now but I only got a couple of diuble yolkers when they first started laying. I'm presuming these were one offs as their egg laying bits & bobs were just starting up and hadn't quite got the process right.

BTW their favourite snack is a melon cut in half.... you wouldn't believe how quickly they can eat the flesh leaving a hollow skin behind.

[beanie3]

Never tried melon.....will have to try that one!

mine love spaghetti - they run around the garden with it!  Marmite on toast.....soggy bread they love it......

Hey mine is probably a one off - soon after we got our chooks one laid double yolkers and a few weeks later she passed on - but i think it was more the shock of a new home and surroundings rather than anything else.......