Twin chicks?

June 1, 2009 10:45 PM

Can chickens hatch twins?

I am getting a double yolk egg from my hens about once a week. If these were fertilized, and if the hen were broody, would these eggs hatch as twins - two chicks from one egg?

I suspect not...

posted by csw to pets & animals (3 comments total)

This Indian site seems to authoritatively say "no".
posted by Burhanistan at 10:49 PM on June 1

Although, here is one success story (the hatching was human-assisted, though).
posted by Burhanistan at 10:52 PM on June 1

I have dissected a large number of chicken eggs in my day, and seen quite a few twin chicken fetuses. These were identical or conjoined twins on the same yolk, usually. I was always told that one or both wouldn't survive to hatching, but since we were dissecting them, I never actually found out.
posted by emyd at 9:46 AM on June 2