Double Yolk Eggs: Still Edible?

Why do some eggs have double yolks? Are they still edible? Read on to find out more about the double-yolk phenomenon.

Why do some Eggs have Double Yolks?

Double yolks are a naturally occurring phenomenon. When an egg has two yolks, it is the result of a chicken releasing two yolks into one shell. On average when chickens reach maturity, they lay one egg a day until their second or third year of life. Double yolks indicate a younger chicken whose reproductive system has not yet matured, or an elderly hen reaching the end of her laying years. 

But what exactly causes this rare double yolk occurrence?

Hens lay in regulated daily cycles, if this cycle is disrupted due to age or genetic disposition they will produce two yolks at the same time. At the time of ovulation, if a hen creates two yolks at once, after being released into the fallopian tube a single shell forms around the double yolks. This happens most often because the egg-forming organs are not fully matured or are out of sync. Double yolks can occur in many different types of chicken breeds. 

Are Double Yolk Eggs Still Edible?

Double yolks are safe to eat. As the presence of two yolks is a result of a reproductive hiccup, they are safe for consumption. Before going to a grocery store, eggs undergo a process called candling to look for defects in the egg. Many double yolk eggs are removed from the stock at this point. However if a double yolk does make it past the candling stage, you are most likely to find double yolks in larger eggs.

Sourcing Your Eggs

Double yolks can be found in commercial chicken farms alongside free-range hens. However, the quality of the eggs you purchase increases if you buy organic eggs. When purchasing organic eggs you can be guaranteed the hens’ feed does not contain synthetic fertilizers, sewage residue, many pesticides, or animal byproducts. This increases the health of the hen therefore the quality of the egg. Sourcing your eggs from ethical farmers can also improve the quality of the egg. Eggs produced by free-range chickens are found to have lower cholesterol, higher omega-3 fatty acids, and lower saturated fats in comparison to commercial chicken farms. When you buy locally you reduce the amount of CO2 required to transport the eggs from farm to table.

More so, knowing where your eggs come from is a way to avoid giving money to cruel chicken farming practices such as chick culling. Chick culling is a process at commercial farms in which male chicks are killed after being sexed as they cannot produce eggs. Commercial farms also often use battery cages where hens will spend their entire life in a cage in a space smaller than a letter-sized piece of paper. Sourcing your eggs from local, organic, cage free/free range farms will improve the quality of the egg and ensure a higher quality of living for the hen. 

Read More:

• How Long Do Farm Fresh Eggs Last? And How Can You Tell?
• Vegan Egg Substitute: 6 Ideas for Vegan Egg Replacers 
• Factory Farming: A Look at This Problematic System 

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Tags: Cooking Guide health