Agricultural policy
Industry warns of problems in the event of chick killing
Every year more than 40 million male chicks are routinely killed shortly after hatching. Photo: Bernd Wüstneck / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Millions of chicks are routinely killed because they are male and cannot be marketed. The New Year is the end of the highly controversial practice. However, some points of criticism are loud.
The massive killing of male chicks in laying hens in Germany must end this Saturday. After years of discussion, a ban will come into effect on January 1, 2022, which will be further tightened in a second stage from 2024.
In the future, it should be possible to use methods on a broad front to identify gender in the egg and prevent male chicks from hatching in the first place. Animal rights activists welcomed the ban introduced by the old federal government as overdue, but are calling for further improvements. The industry warned of difficulties.
The problem: Every year more than 40 million male chicks in Germany are routinely killed shortly after hatching because they are not economically viable for hatcheries. Because they don’t lay eggs and don’t put on as much meat. Sometimes there is talk of “shredding”, but the chicks are usually killed with gas. The Animal Welfare Act stipulates that no one may inflict pain, suffering or harm on an animal “without a reasonable reason”. The Federal Administrative Court ruled in 2019 that animal welfare issues outweigh the economic interests of the hen breeders and declared the practice to be permissible only for a transitional period.
The ban: In future, the Animal Welfare Act will say: “It is forbidden to kill chicks from domestic chickens of the Gallus gallus species.” Measures in the event of animal diseases or animal experiments are excluded. On January 1, 2024, sex determination in the egg will be tightened. Then only methods that work earlier are allowed – interventions from the 7th day of incubation are taboo. The background is that embryos then feel pain, as the ministry explained. Currently, procedures are ready for the market between the 9th and the 14th day. It takes a total of 21 days for chicks to hatch.
The industry: The chairman of the Federal Egg Association, Henner Schönecke, told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” that the tightening of gender determination was a “birth defect” of the law. The requirements are not yet met by any technology that has already been used. “No hatchery is now investing millions in a system that may no longer be used from 2024.” The second stage of the law should therefore be suspended. It can already be observed that more cheaper eggs from abroad are being used for processed goods. “The entire market for eggs, cakes and so on is currently collapsing for German laying hen farmers.”
The animal rights activists: The German Animal Welfare Association called the ban long overdue. Most consumers, however, are not aware that even for eggs that are marketed by retailers with the indication “without killing chicks”, embryos or even chicks that are sensitive to pain will still be killed by 2024. In addition, the basic problem is not off the table, criticized President Thomas Schröder in mid-December: “The madness of high-performance breeding, the pressure to be efficient at the expense of the animals.” The new government must quickly develop an overall strategy and promote the promotion of healthier and more robust chicken breeds.
The further implementation: When converting, supermarkets and processors are now also important in addition to the animal owners. Many retail chains had already reacted in advance and announced that they would only offer eggs in their range without killing chicks, explained the ministry. The law shows that animal welfare and economic efficiency go hand in hand. “We are thus preventing the hatcheries from migrating abroad and then importing eggs from countries for which such an exit does not yet play a role.” The topic is also in focus in other EU countries. In addition to sex determination in the egg, another option is to breed “dual-purpose chickens”: female chicks grow into laying hens, but they do not lay as many eggs. Male chicks are raised for fattening, but gain weight more slowly.