Chick Culling in the Egg Industry and Alternatives

Male chicks from laying breeds are killed at hatcheries because they cannot lay eggs and grow too slowly for meat production, with in-ovo sexing technology offering a welfare-positive solution.

Key Facts

Approximately 7 billion male chicks are culled annually worldwide in the egg industry
Standard culling methods include maceration (high-speed grinding) and gassing with CO2
Both methods kill chicks rapidly when properly operated but raise welfare concerns about consciousness and distress
In-ovo sexing technology identifies male eggs before hatching, eliminating the need to hatch and cull male chicks
France and Germany have banned male chick culling following in-ovo sexing technology commercialization
Several UK retailers have committed to sourcing only eggs from hatcheries with in-ovo sexing by 2026

Welfare Considerations

Male chick culling represents the largest single-point killing of individual animals in food production. Maceration causes death in milliseconds, but CO2 gassing is more distressing due to the aversive effects of CO2 on chicks. In-ovo sexing technology eliminates this welfare harm entirely by preventing male eggs from hatching. The technology is commercially available and cost-competitive with conventional hatchery operations. The welfare case for in-ovo sexing is therefore both strong and practically achievable.

What You Can Do

Choose eggs from brands committed to in-ovo sexing technology hatcheries
Advocate for mandatory adoption of in-ovo sexing in your country's egg industry
Support retailers and food manufacturers that have made in-ovo sexing sourcing commitments
Back research into further improvements in in-ovo sexing accuracy and cost reduction
Raise awareness that chick culling is a preventable welfare harm with available technological solutions