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

Documents

Opinion on chick culling alternatives

PDF, 468 KB, 38 pages

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Details

This Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) 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. This AWC opinion was sent to government on 18 July 2023.

You can read more about the work of the Animal Welfare Committee.

Published 12 March 2024