Ameraucana Breeders Club

The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club => Ameraucana Marketplace => Topic started by: Coyote on April 04, 2011, 10:59:56 PM

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: Coyote on April 04, 2011, 10:59:56 PM

My boss who really knows nothing about chickens really stumped me with this question-Will a fertile double yolk egg ever hatch out twins? Since I only hatch bantams and have never had a double yolk with them I was stumped. Can anyone help?

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: faith valley on April 04, 2011, 11:46:15 PM

I can not see how there would be enough room for 2 embryos to develop fully to hatching stage within one egg.  Plus, there is still only the one air cell and that air cell would need to supply oxygen to both chicks while they are internally pipped but before extenally pipping to gain taht extra oxygen.  I guess anything is possible, but it does not sound too likely.

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: dak on April 05, 2011, 05:12:50 AM

I am helping a friend who is a MD doing MRI research, and we are incubating double yolked eggs to various stages of development and then imaging.  I have had one make it to Day 19 with two viable chicks, but then I stopped development to mail to her.  Both heads were side by side near the air sac, so I guess hatching might have been a possibility.  

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: Cloverleaf Farm on April 05, 2011, 05:33:19 AM

It is possible, but they usually require help to hatch successfully.

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: Beth C on April 05, 2011, 07:07:50 AM

Rarely and with much help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ZeEY-kt7A

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: grisaboy on April 05, 2011, 09:00:03 AM

They do sometimes hatch but they often grow together and you get something like this.

http://www.google.com/search?q=4+legged+chicken&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS295&prmd=ivnse&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wxGbTf2iAY6ssAOym8COBA&ved=0CBgQsAQ&biw=1259&bih=456

curtis

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: Beth C on April 05, 2011, 09:27:42 AM

Oi! :o

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: John on April 12, 2011, 06:30:36 PM

This is not about an Ameraucana egg, but it fits the topic about a double yoke egg that came close to hatching twins today.  The thin shell of this jumbo Chantecler egg was cracked but they didn\'t hatch.  

Title: Kind of silly question
Post by: dak on April 12, 2011, 11:11:06 PM

I have a double yolker in the incubator now, however only one embryo is developing.  I\'m going to let it run its course and see what happens with the extra yolk.