Double-Yolk Eggs: How They Occur & What They Mean

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What is the spiritual meaning of a double-yolk egg?

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Co-authored by Janice Tieperman Reviewed by Michelle Arbeau

Last Updated: August 7, 2024 Fact Checked

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Overview

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Spiritual Meaning

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Rarity

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Are they safe to eat?

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Tips

Whoa! Are there two egg yolks chilling in the middle of your frying pan, or are you just seeing things? Besides being a delicious surprise, these special eggs can also add a superstitious touch to your egg-cellent breakfast. We’re here to answer all your questions, so you can be in the know the next time you crack open a “double-yolker.”

Things You Should Know

Double-yolk eggs typically form when a young hen passes 2 egg yolks instead of just one and lays them together in a single egg shell.
These special eggs can be a sign that someone in your life is having twins, while Norse mythology marks double-yolk eggs as a bad omen.
You have a 1/1,000 chance of finding just one double-yolk egg in your carton, and a 1/100 chance of finding a second one.

Section 1 of 4:

How do double-yolk eggs occur?

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Double-yolk eggs occur when a hen discharges 2 yolks instead of 1. To lay an egg, a hen lets out a single egg yolk from its ovary, which forms into the beautiful egg we all know and love during the next 26 hours. Young hens that haven’t settled into a consistent egg-laying routine occasionally dispense two egg yolks rather than just one, which creates the fabled double-yolk egg.
- A hen’s breed can play a factor in the yolk quantity, too. For instance, heavy-breed hens (like the Black Sex Link or Buff Orpington) are genetically more likely to lay double-yolk eggs.^{[1]
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  Research source} These hen breeds aren’t common at commercial egg facilities, though, so your double-yolk can likely be chalked up to a young hen.^{[2]
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- Typically, a fertilized egg with two yolks only hatches one chick (since one embryo dominates in the egg). In rare cases, two chicks can hatch from a single egg, but they often don’t survive by that point.^{[3]
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  Penn State Extension
  Educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities
  
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- While it’s technically possible for an egg to have 3 yolks, there’s only a 1 in 25 million chance of it happening.^{[4]
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  Science Direct
  Online archive of peer-reviewed research on scientific, technical and medical topics
  
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Section 2 of 4:

Double Yolk Superstitions

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Someone in your family is having twins. In Romani mythology, cracking open an egg with two yolks signifies that any pregnant relatives have two babies on the way rather than just one.^{[5]
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Research source} According to some superstitions, a double-yolker could also mean that someone in your life might be getting married soon.^{[6]
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- In some traditions, cracking open a double-yolk egg can mean that you are having twins as well.^{[7]
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- Double-yolk eggs can also symbolize fertility in general.^{[8]
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Some people belief that cracking open this special egg signifies lots of positivity and luck for you in the future. See if your luck starts to turn after enjoying this delicious egg in your breakfast!^{[9]
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Just as two yolks have come together in a single shell, your relationships with your partner and loved ones will “come together” in a positive and harmonious way. Think of this unique egg as a special symbol of unity and wholeness!^{[10]
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According to Norse mythology, finding a double-yolk egg is very bad luck—it means that a relative’s life will come to an end very soon.^{[11]
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Research source} Don’t stress too much about this superstition, though—according to some members of the Wiccan community, finding a double-yolk egg is actually a sign of good luck.^{[12]
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Section 3 of 4:

How rare is a double-yolk egg?

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You have a 1/1,000 chance of finding a single double-yolk egg. Independently, double-yolkers are pretty hard to find—if you were to crack 1,000 eggs total, only one of them would have two yolks. However, eggs collected from the same group of young hens are more likely have multiple double-yolkers in the same carton. In fact, your odds of finding a double-yolk egg go up to 1/100 once you’ve already found one in a batch.^{[13]
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- Believe it or not, several people have reported cracking multiple double-yolkers from the same carton of eggs.

Section 4 of 4:

Are double-yolk eggs safe to eat?

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Yes, double-yolk eggs are perfectly safe to eat. Agricultural experts agree that double-yolks are don’t carry any extra risks.^{[14]
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Research source} Just make sure that you’re always cooking your eggs thoroughly to prevent the risk of food-bourne illness—as a general rule of thumb, fully-cooked eggs have a solid white and yolk.^{[15]
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US Food and Drug Administration
U.S. government agency responsible for promoting public health

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- Double-yolk eggs aren’t twice as a nutritious as ordinary eggs; instead, they’re about as nutritious as an extra-large egg.

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Tips

From a numerology perspective, a double of anything (especially something rare like a double-yolk) symbolizes the number 2, which is the number of duality, intuition, and sensitivity. It's the number that most resonates with the soul or the soulful side of the self. Seeing a pair of anything, especially when it is a rare occurrence, is a message similar to that of 222—everything is going to be okay. Everything is working out for the highest good of all concerned. It's a positive message to keep the faith that all is going to turn out for the best.

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