Bye bye boys

[Perris]

It seems that industrial chicken breeders have finally solved the problem of how to produce only pullets
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63937438
It will, apparently, save millions of male chicks from death by disposal just after they hatch, and save the firms who buy into it the wages of the chick sexers and the plant currently needed to process unwanted males.

I wonder which animal will be next for gender editing.

 

[RoyalChick]

It seems that industrial chicken breeders have finally solved the problem of how to produce only pullets
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63937438
It will, apparently, save millions of male chicks from death by disposal just after they hatch, and save the firms who buy into it the wages of the chick sexers and the plant currently needed to process unwanted males.

I wonder which animal will be next for gender editing.

Fascinating. A tad freaky too of course.

 

[Tonyroo]

If that becomes a practice around the world of poultry. I hope they label and identify the chickens with this ability. So hobbyist and breeders can avoid them.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Mixed feelings/thoughts. I’m not against gene editing on moral grounds. I don’t believe its playing God. “Playing God” would be creating life from non-life. Modifying the life that already exists has been around for as long as humans have been domesticating other species of plants and animals.

I am concerned about unintended consequences.

 

[Silkiesaz]

It seems that industrial chicken breeders have finally solved the problem of how to produce only pullets
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-63937438
It will, apparently, save millions of male chicks from death by disposal just after they hatch, and save the firms who buy into it the wages of the chick sexers and the plant currently needed to process unwanted males.

I wonder which animal will be next for gender editing.

When they shine the blue light on the egg the male eggs die, I don't really see how this solves the problem. They are simply killing the boys before they are born.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Wait, so when they shine the blue light on the egg the male eggs die?

That’s what I took out of it. It still involves killing the male chicks. It just happens very early in the development process instead of after hatching.

So either way there is still waste. There’s either going to be a chick that gets ground into dogfood or an egg with a dead embryo inside. I am not sure what uses the egg is after that. Would an egg with a dead embryo have the same shelf life as one with a living embryo that hasn’t started development?

 

[JedJackson]

I have mixed feelings as well. On one hand it would save lots of male chicks from suffering and death. But I am not really comfortable with eating eggs/meat from Frankenchickens. Good opportunity for backyard chicken owners to sell non-gene editted eggs/meat, though.

 

[JedJackson]

That’s what I took out of it. It still involves killing the male chicks. It just happens very early in the development process instead of after hatching.

So either way there is still waste. There’s either going to be a chick that gets ground into dogfood or an egg with a dead embryo inside. I am not sure what uses the egg is after that. Would an egg with a dead embryo have the same shelf life as one with a living embryo that hasn’t started development?

This would only happen with incubated eggs, which are never put on the market anyway.

 

[Silkiesaz]

That’s what I took out of it. It still involves killing the male chicks. It just happens very early in the development process instead of after hatching.

So either way there is still waste. There’s either going to be a chick that gets ground into dogfood or an egg with a dead embryo inside. I am not sure what uses the egg is after that. Would an egg with a dead embryo have the same shelf life as one with a living embryo that hasn’t started development?

They probably just throw away the eggs. It is not really an improvement for the chickens, they are still killing millions of birds. It just helps the business make more profit.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

This would only happen with incubated eggs, which are never put on the market anyway.

Then they ought to find a use for otherwise unmarketable eggs.

Now I’m curious as to what makes more nutritious dog and cat food, an egg or a chick…