Despite the cute image of fluffy yellow chicks that comes to mind, the outcome for male chicks in the egg industry is a harsh and often overlooked reality both here in the UK and around the world. We spoke to the British Hen Welfare Trust to find out more…
What happens to male chicks?
Every year, millions of chicks are hatched around the country. But as male chicks don’t lay eggs, they have a very different future to their female counterparts. Male chicks are usually dispatched shortly after hatching in a process known as chick culling.
This mass killing of male chicks, often within hours of hatching, is done in various ways including gassing, maceration and suffocation, to efficiently and economically dispose of what is seen as an unwanted byproduct of the egg-laying industry.
Is there another option?
With consumers becoming more conscious about where their food comes from and the implications of their choices, the issue of chick culling has gained more attention. Encouragingly, a shift towards more sustainable and ethical farming practices could help reduce the need for mass chick culling in the future.
In recent years, efforts have been made to find alternative solutions to chick culling, such as raising the male chicks for meat (albeit less efficiently as males don’t grow as quickly as females) or switching to 'dual-purpose' breeds (ones that lay a relatively moderate number of eggs and grow to a moderate size).
More promising is the development of in-ovo (in the egg) sexing technologies that can determine the sex of the chick before hatching so that it can be destroyed painlessly. This technology is now beginning to gain traction across Europe, which is at least encouraging news.
What about male chicks in school hatching programmes?
Male chicks don’t fare much better when it comes to school hatching programmes, which is why the BHWT advises against this practice. Here, fertilised eggs are brought in for pupils to learn about the hatching process. On the surface, this might seem like a good way to offer children an engaging and interactive experience, but teachers often don’t realise the ethical implications.
Not only does the care and attention the fertilised eggs receive differ a lot from that of a mother hen, once the chicks hatch and the scheme is completed, chicks will either be returned to the company where their fate is uncertain, or they may be rehomed by someone in school. Even for those chicks that find a home, the cockerels are usually unwanted. Teaching children that it’s ok to have an experience with young sentient creatures, and then discard them, is not a positive educational message.
What’s the future for male chicks?
The fate of male chicks in the UK and around the world is a stark reminder of the ethical complexities within food production. Significantly, countries are beginning to ban chick culling. Germany outlawed the practice in 2021, followed by France later the same year. Italy has since followed suit, and this year the UK’s Animal Welfare Committee recommended a ban, although this is not legally binding.
Looking to buy a coop? Check out our guide to the best chicken coops to buy and for inspiration about which hens will best suit your set up, check out our guide to chicken breeds: 12 of the best for beginner keepers.
Read more about chickens
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The British Hen Welfare Trust is the UK’s largest charity for commercial laying hens. Each year they rehome around 60,000 hens as family pets that would otherwise have been destined for slaughter. They have approximately 1,400 volunteers and almost 50 collection points across the UK. They also have an associate charity in France, Champs Libres aux Poules, which rehomes thousands of commercial laying hens as pets too.
Main image: Getty images
