Have you ever had two yolks in your egg? Here you can find out how the so-called double yolk occurs and whether it has an effect on your egg.
How is an egg with two yolks formed?
Double yolks develop naturally: In general, every hen has two ovaries. However, the right ovary regresses fairly quickly and the eggs then mature in the left ovary. Through the storage of nutrients in the ovary, yolk balls develop from the egg cells over time. You will then find these yolk balls in your egg and theoretically a chick can also develop from them.
A double yolk can develop in different ways.
For one, it may have something to do with the age of the hen. It is mostly young animals that are affected, as the egg formation process first has to settle down hormonally. This means that sometimes two instead of one yolk ball migrate from the ovary into the fallopian tube and are then packed into an egg there. In fact, it can also happen that up to four yolk balls end up in an egg.
In addition to age, the breed of chicken can also have an influence on the formation of a double yolk. Especially large chicken breeds with a high dead weight also tend to produce double yolks. In addition, these eggs are often those of sizes L and XL. That’s why you often find such eggs at the weekly market or from a farmer of your choice: Here they are not sorted out industrially.
Can I still eat the egg with two yolks without hesitation?
Yes, you can eat double-yolk eggs without hesitation. They differ from other eggs in nothing except the number of yolks. Because they are often larger than the eggs, which only have one yolk, you actually have a little more egg and more protein.
You can also often find organic eggs at markets or farms that are larger than the norm or even advertise that they likely contain a double yolk. Since all of these eggs are not pre-sorted industrially, this is also more sustainable because the eggs are not disposed of because they deviate from the norm. So the next time you go shopping, maybe even deliberately choose eggs with a double yolk.
Responsible farmers also refrain from the so-called chick shredding: The male chicks are killed immediately because they cannot produce any eggs later. So you can contribute to animal welfare by paying attention – no matter how many egg yolks.