Farmer finds giant egg but what was inside was even more puzzling

Who doesn’t relish eggs as a breakfast option? Whether you prefer them scrambled, poached, or sunny side up, eggs provide the ideal, wholesome start to your day. They offer the necessary energy boost and pair perfectly with cheese, tomatoes, and bacon. While it may be rare, some eggs can contain two yolks. Have you ever cracked open such an egg? However, there is a Texas farmer who can boast of something even more extraordinary—a double shelled egg. If you’re unfamiliar with this phenomenon, prepare to be amazed by this fascinating story.

Double-shelled eggs are incredibly rare, to the point where even though there are videos showcasing them being cracked open, many people remain skeptical about their authenticity.

There exists a YouTube video featuring an individual who identifies himself as “just an old Texas farmer appreciating nature.” In the video, he stumbles upon a massive egg laid by an average-sized chicken. Since its upload in July 2015, the video has garnered over 3 million views.

In the footage, the farmer taps the egg, creating a small crack in its shell. He proceeds to peel off a small section, revealing the visible yolk. “Oh, I’ve spotted another surprise!” he exclaims with a chuckle. “It’s a double egger!”

Read: Are cheaper eggs just as nutritious as organic or free-run options?

The double shelled egg reveals a neat little copy inside

With deliberate care, the farmer empties the yolk from the shell, leaving behind only the inner egg. Amused, he declares, “No double yolks, that’s for wimps. We’ve got double eggs!” Interestingly, the second egg nested within the larger one is of regular size. He proceeds to crack open the smaller egg, revealing a plain egg akin to the ones we typically purchase at the grocery store.

This is not the first time we’ve seen one of these videos where an unsuspecting farmer cracks open a double shelled egg

In a surprising turn of events, a North Queensland, Australia egg farmer stumbled upon a rather large egg. Deb McLucas, along with her husband Rob Bauman, operates the free-range Freckle Farm located in Eton, southwest of Mackay. During the process of grading eggs, they came across this unusually sized shell. The farm shared a video on their Facebook page on Friday, showcasing the moment when the egg is cracked open.

In northeastern B.C., on a hobby farm near Dawson Creek, another farmer tumbled upon a double shelled egg. One of Wendy Devuyst’s approximately 75 chickens has been producing rare eggs within eggs. The first instance of this oddity happened in January when Wendy collected an egg that was significantly larger than usual—it measured about two-and-a-half times the size of a regular egg.

“I was thinking it was going to be a triple-yolker,” she said. “Instead, she cracked it open and, “Lo and behold, another fully-formed egg came out. It actually made me jump back, I was so in shock,” she said. “I was like, ‘How did that happen?’” She continued.

Read: Should we eat eggs with the blood spot?

How do double shelled eggs naturally occur?

Double shelled eggs occur when an egg nearing the laying stage reverses its development, resulting in a new layer of albumen being covered by a second shell, according to Poultry Help. Countryside Network explains that this reversal process is known as “counter-peristalsis contraction.”

Abnormalities in the formation of eggs can result in various unique characteristics such as ridged, sunburst, slab-sided, soft-shelled, or double-shelled eggs. These abnormalities are often caused by eggs colliding in the shell gland region of the oviduct when an ovum (yolk) is released too soon after the previous one.

Necropsy examinations have revealed that two full-sized eggs can be present in the shell gland pouch. The pressure exerted as the second egg comes into contact with the first disrupts the mineralization pattern. The first egg develops a white band and chalky appearance, while the second egg becomes flattened on its contiguous surface, resulting in a slab-sided appearance.

Pimpled or rough eggs may indicate eggs that have been retained for too long in the shell gland. Blood spots occur when a blood vessel along the stigma ruptures during the release of the ovum. Meat spots, on the other hand, occur when a piece of follicle membrane or residual albumen from the previous day becomes incorporated into the developing egg.

A lot of these issues seem to stem from a more stressful environment

While some abnormalities appear to have no specific cause, their incidence is often higher in hens under stressful management conditions or rough handling during production, such as catching or vaccination. Viral diseases like infectious bronchitis, egg drop syndrome, Newcastle disease, avian pneumovirus, and avian influenza can also lead to a significant increase in the number of soft-shelled eggs.

In rare cases, small eggs without a yolk can form around a central material (residual albumen) in the magnum of the oviduct. Eggs with reduced albumen or defective shells may result from damage to the epithelium of the magnum or shell gland. Exceptionally uncommonly, foreign material that enters the oviduct through the vagina, such as a roundworm, can be incorporated into an egg.

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