Meanwhile, the US has committed to stop chicken culling by 2020.Īustralia doesn’t have the same kind of commitment, but John Coward says the industry expects to adopt the technology in the next few years. “The male eggs can be destroyed nine days after incubation, before they develop the ability to feel pain.” The country is developing technology where male eggs show up with green dye, Emma Hurst says. Germany is already on board and will stop mass culling of chicks by next year. They’re basically an egg that’s been fertilised.” “Obviously that’s a more appropriate time to dispose of the male chicks in that sense rather than wait till they’re a day old. John told Hack that he’s excited by where developments in the industry are heading Australian scientists are working on methods to identify male chicks in eggs and “dispose” of them before they’re even born. “For that reason the industry for the last five years has been working on science-based alternatives.” “Any well-thought human being would say if you could somehow do it better that would be more appropriate. But if you look at how quick it is, you’d say, that’s the best we can do under the circumstances. Obviously in taking that little chick’s life, there is an instantaneous position of suffering, how much that is, the industry’s not sure. But he admits that the industry can’t be certain of how long chicks might be in pain for. John says macerating chicks is the preferred method because of how instantaneous the death - and therefore how brief the suffering - is expected to be. If male chicks aren’t macerated as soon as they’re born, they can be gassed to death in a sealed C02 chamber instead, John says. “But we’re aware of the public sentiment toward this type of disposal.” What are the other options? It’s something that the industry has been very aware of,” John Coward told Hack. “It’s regarded currently as the most welfare-appropriate destruction of these male chicks. While the footage is pretty disturbing to watch macerating chicks isn’t illegal in Australia.Īccording to John Coward from Egg Farmers Australia, maceration isn’t only common practice in the industry, it’s also considered the most humane way to “dispose” of male chicks. ![]() Macerating male chicks legal in Australia It’s something that’s inescapable no matter what label of egg you buy.”Īnimal Liberation also started a petition, calling for the industry to stop the “mass slaughter” of male chicks. This hatchery supplies battery, free range, organic, barn raised chickens. ![]() ![]() Specialised Breeders Australia told Hack that maceration is “endorsed accordingly by the RSPCA”.īut Emma Hurst says practicing maceration in hatcheries means that there’s cruelty attached to every kind of egg you buy in the supermarket - even free range. “They’ve been hiding this from consumers for a very long time,” Emma Hurst from Animal Liberation NSW told Hack. Specialised Breeders Australia confirmed to Hack that the video was filmed at their hatchery just outside of Melbourne.Īnimal Liberation told Hack that they were anonymously sent the footage and it was shot covertly by trespassers.Īnimal Liberation condemned the maceration - the practice of killing male chicks because they can’t be used by egg farmers for laying eggs.
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