Farm Animals

Commercial Egg Production Male Chick Culling

The egg industry kills approximately 7 billion male chicks annually worldwide because males of egg-laying breeds cannot be used for meat production.

Key Facts

Male chicks of egg-laying breeds are killed on the day of hatching by maceration or gassing
Approximately 7 billion male chicks are culled annually in the global egg industry
In-ovo sexing technology can now determine sex before hatching enabling earlier intervention
Germany France and Italy have banned male chick culling following in-ovo sexing technology adoption

Welfare Considerations

Male chick culling is arguably one of the most ethically troubling practices in industrialized food production. Billions of newly hatched animals are killed within hours of birth because of the economic structure of the egg industry. While in-ovo sexing technology can avoid the hatching of male eggs, adoption depends on cost competitiveness. Consumer demand for eggs drives the scale of this practice directly.

What You Can Do

Choose eggs from producers using in-ovo sexing technology if available in your region
Reduce egg consumption to decrease the number of male chicks killed to produce eggs
Support legislation banning male chick culling following in-ovo sexing adoption
Advocate for in-ovo sexing to become the industry standard as costs decrease