Towards a ban on the slaughter of male chicks in Chile

First the good news, and it comes direct from the Netherlands.

On Tuesday 11th February, the Dutch government laid out their roadmap to end male chick culling for eggs produced and sold in the Netherlands by 2026. It is estimated that this measure will lead to the sparing of 6 to 7 million male chicks each year. The Netherlands is not the first to implement such measures, with other European countries such as Germany, France and Italy - as well as  Australia - having implemented similar legislation to eliminate this cruel practice. 

Why chick culling remains rampant in the egg industry

Because male chickens cannot lay eggs, they are of no use to companies that breed laying hens. They are also unwanted in the meat industry as they are not the same breed as broiler chickens that are bred specifically to rapidly gain weight. Instead of finding an alternative solution for male chicks, the egg industry has resorted to killing 6 billion day-old male chicks each year. The most popular methods used worldwide are live maceration (chicks are grinded into pieces whilst fully conscious) and suffocation with carbon dioxide. This practice causes immense pain and distress to these individuals, and epitomises the ways in which the animal agriculture industry  treats non-human animals as solely objects of economic value. 

However, there now exists technology that has the potential to eradicate this cruel practice: in-ovo sexing. Through a variety of methods, such as non-invasive imaging and liquid-based analysis, in-ovo sexing technologies identify the sex of a chick before they have hatched, meaning that eggs containing male embryos can be destroyed before they are able to feel pain. Across Europe, as this technology becomes commercially available and cost-effective, we are seeing a move towards in-ovo sexing, with approximately 20% of the industry having already adopted this technology. 

The need for in-ovo sexing in Chile

In Chile’s egg industry, there has not yet been any official implementation of in-ovo sexing, , meaning the culling of male chicks remains a widespread phenomenon. Only one producer, EcoTerra, announced a commitment in 2023 to adopt in-ovo sexing in the future. However, EcoTerra have recently told us that they have not since made progress in implementing this technology. 

At Animal Law Focus, we see in-ovo sexing as a transformative solution with the potential to have significant industry impact. A 2023 survey conducted in Chile by Fundación Veg found that the majority of those surveyed (60%) believe that in-ovo sexing should be obligatory by law when it becomes available in Chile, with two thirds responding that egg producers should invest in in-ovo technology even without any legal measures. 

Further research worldwide has found comprehensive support for in-ovo sexing once consumers become aware of the practice of male chick culling. 

At Animal Law Focus, we concentrate on carrying out in-depth research on existing regulations in order to develop targeted actions and strategies to close regulatory gaps, improve enforcement, and correct non-compliant strategies. Through targeted partnerships with fellow advocacy organizations and farms, we expect to facilitate the adoption of innovative solutions like in-ovo sexing that help move the industry away from practices that cause animal suffering. 

Written by Dylan Holmes Cowan.

Picture of young chicks, taken inside a farm facility.