The best part of keeping chickens is the eggs. Fresh eggs every day. It is a great way to start the day.
The number of eggs a chicken will lay varies by breed. Some, like the White Leghorn, may lay 300 eggs per year, which is close to one per day. Other breeds may only lay 100 to 150 a year. Occasionally, a chicken may lay 2 eggs a day.
It is usually young hens that lay 2 eggs per day. Often the bird will be around 6 months old and she is laying 2 eggs a day because her body is trying to get into a rhythm of laying on a regular basis. Occasionally, whilst trying to get into an egg production rhythm the chickens’ ovaries release two eggs at once, or within quick succession.
Why Does A Chicken Lay Two Eggs In One Day?
To understand why a chicken might lay two eggs in a day, let me start by briefly explaining how a chicken creates an egg.
Chickens have a single ovary (they are born with two, but one shrivels away soon after hatching). Their remaining ovary contains all the ‘starts’ of eggs for the chickens’ entire life.
On a regular cycle, which varies by breed, the ovary releases a single egg start, which first passes down the infundibulum. As the egg passes through the chicken, it gains all the parts to develop into a chick, including of course the shell.
After the egg gains its shell it passes through the chicken’s cloaca which is where the egg pops out during laying. Within about 30 minutes to 2 hours after laying an egg, the chickens’ ovary releases another egg start.
When chickens first start laying eggs, it can take a week or two for their bodies to get into a rhythm. It is not uncommon for their bodies to release two yolks at a time.
When two yolks are released the result is sometimes two eggs being laid in quick succession and sometimes a single egg, but with two yolks inside, often referred to as a double-yoker.
Assuming the bird in question is around 6 months old, it is essentially fairly normal that on occasions she lay 2 eggs in a single day. If however, the hen is much older than 6 months it may be more of a concern.
Can You Eat Double Yolk Eggs?
Yes, it is perfectly fine to eat an egg with two yolks inside it. In fact, you usually won’t know the egg has two yolks until you crack it open.
Here in the US, it is rare to buy a double yoke egg in the store as they are considered within the egg industry to be ‘imperfect’ and are removed from the production line. In other countries, especially across Europe, stores sell cartons of double yoke eggs.
Can You A Double Yolk Egg Hatch?
I haven’t been able to find a credible record of an egg hatching with twin chickens inside. Unlike in mammals where the womb can expand to cope with multiple babies developing inside, an egg has a finite amount of space. It is cramped for a single chick, and I suspect it would be far too small for 2 chicks to successfully develop.
An Egg Within An Egg
Very rarely you will find an egg within another egg. It appears that as the egg is merrily passing through the chickens’ internal egg creation system, the egg suddenly goes back up the pipe and starts to receive a second shell. When these rather large eggs are laid, they are fully intact eggs with another whole egg inside them.
My Final Thoughts On ‘Why Is My Chicken Laying 2 Eggs Per Day?’
In the early stages of a chicken laying, it is relatively normal for her to lay two eggs a day. This occurs whilst her body is trying to get into a regular egg-laying rhythm.
