Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Did You Know?: Double Yolk Eggs

Today while baking, I had a big surprise when I cracked an egg and two yolks were inside! I have never come across a double-yolked egg before. I was intrigued enough to do a little research. 

- Most eggs are from hens not kept with cockerels and hence are unfertilized, but the biology of how an unfertilized egg develops is the same as in a fertilized one. The egg is 'assembled' in the hen's oviduct, a process in which the ovum, which consists of the hen's genes plus the yolk, is surrounded by the egg white and the shell. The process is controlled by a series of hormones that tell the hen's body when to make the parts of the egg and in which order. 

- Double-yolk eggs result from an error in this process, caused by yolk production becoming unsynchronized with that of the rest of the egg. 

- Approximately one in every thousand eggs is double-yolked.

- You can get three or more yolks in one egg. The record is a nine-yolker. 

- I assumed a double yolk would be a sign of good luck but I found conflicting information. The Brits believe that it means there will be a death in the family. More commonly, it means a marriage is impending or that twins are possible in my future. 

Info from dailymail.co.uk/ by Michael Hanlon on Feb '10

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