New Investigation Shines a Light on Alternatives to Chick Culling
As humane technologies become more widely available, campaigners are pressing for an end to a long-standing hatchery practice.
A new investigation is drawing attention to the routine killing of newly hatched male chicks in the egg industry, and to the growing alternatives that could bring the practice to an end.
The investigation was carried out by Mercy For Animals, an Ecoflix partner, which has documented conditions inside the industry.
For decades, male chicks have been culled because they cannot lay eggs and are not considered profitable to raise. Worldwide, an estimated 7 billion male chicks are killed each year.
The hopeful development is that alternatives are becoming increasingly available. New technologies now make it possible to avoid the practice altogether, offering a clear path forward for hatcheries and producers.
By documenting the reality inside the egg industry, the organization aims to build momentum for those alternatives and to encourage the industry to adopt them more widely.
The message is a practical one: change is possible, and the tools to achieve it already exist.
As awareness grows, campaigners hope more producers will make the switch, sparing billions of animals and modernising an industry that has relied on the same routine for generations.
You can watch the story to learn more about the work being done to promote humane alternatives.