Laying Hen Mortality and End-of-Lay Welfare

The end of the laying period is one of the most welfare-significant stages in a hen's life, with practices ranging from live shredding of male chicks to various end-of-lay slaughter methods.

Key Facts

In-ovo sexing technology can identify male chicks before hatching, eliminating live shredding
Germany and France have mandated in-ovo sexing adoption by the egg industry
Male chick culling kills approximately 7 billion male chicks globally per year
End-of-lay hens are typically slaughtered at 72-80 weeks despite living 5-7 years naturally
Controlled atmosphere killing of end-of-lay flocks is considered more humane than neck dislocation at scale

Welfare Considerations

The egg production lifecycle has welfare crisis points at both beginning and end. At the beginning: the killing of male chicks who cannot produce eggs — 7 billion per year globally — is one of the largest single welfare harms in agriculture. In-ovo sexing that identifies sex before hatching eliminates this practice. At the end: end-of-lay hens are slaughtered at a fraction of their natural lifespan. The killing methods used — often catch-and-crate under high stress followed by gas or electrical stunning — cause significant suffering relative to more carefully managed alternatives. Choosing certified higher welfare eggs addresses both ends of the lifecycle.

What You Can Do

Choose eggs from producers certified by schemes requiring in-ovo sexing adoption
Support European policy mandating in-ovo sexing as a model for global adoption
Advocate for improved end-of-lay killing standards including flock-level CAS
Reduce overall egg consumption to reduce the total number of hens cycling through production
Support precision fermentation egg white as an emerging welfare-positive alternative