Independent report

Opinion on chick culling alternatives

Animal Welfare Committee opinion on alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks in the egg and poultry industries.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 12 March 2024

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Opinion on chick culling alternatives

PDF, 468 KB, 38 pages

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Details

This opinion reviews the use of in-ovo sexing technologies to determine the sex of laying hen embryos prior to hatch. It considers whether there is any evidence, on welfare grounds, to support the adoption of in-ovo sexing to replace the routine culling of male chicks post-hatch. The paper also provides an opinion on potential risks associated with the removal of chicks as a cheap food source for other animals. It also makes wider recommendations aimed at improving the welfare of newly hatched poultry.

Published 12 March 2024