Each year billions of male chicks are killed at hatcheries because they cannot lay eggs. In-ovo sexing technology offers a humane alternative that is increasingly commercially viable.
Male chicks of egg-laying breeds are considered economically worthless and are killed within hours of hatching — a practice that causes billions of deaths annually and raises serious ethical concerns. In-ovo sexing technologies now allow hatcheries to identify and stop incubating male eggs before chicks develop pain sensitivity, eliminating the welfare harm entirely. The technology is cost-competitive and several major retailers have committed to sourcing only from no-kill hatcheries.