I'm so old I Remember when:

[AntiqueB]

Actually, Europe may not be much better about "disposing" of male chicks. There was an expose a few years back about how they pile them into garbage bags and throw them away, alive.

 

[Rick589]

Nah ... the question is usually not the "stupid" part; it's the intent of the person asking it that's usually stupid. As in, do they really want to know the answer or are they just trying to look smart or embarrass the they're asking? Gee. How's that for telling you I work with middle-schoolers without telling you I work with middle-schoolers?

So, it sounds as though your middle schooler's may be a bit passive-aggressive....or not.

 

[MROO]

So, it sounds as though your middle schooler's may be a bit passive-aggressive....or not.

They're middle-schoolers. Even when they're totally confused, they know ALL the answers, just ask 'em! But, believe it or not, that's one of the reasons I love them. I don't always LIKE them, but I do love 'em!

 

[MROO]

I was just teasing. Anyway, my career put me in touch with all aspects of the meat poultry industry, hatchery to slaughter, I've seen it all. Gender didn't matter in this industry but never really considered what hatcheries not involved in meat chickens did with males. Actually a bit surprised to hear you say they perform.mass slaughters. I would have thought they would have more alternative outlets to at least recover some of the costs. In my career I've seen live chicks thrown into dumpster at some of the hatcheries, won't mention the companies and that always struck me a bit cruel. But, that's just me.

Many (a small percentage but a large number) get sold, frozen, into the pet/zoo/animal-care trade. I have a couple of students who buy them for their small pythons. A friend who did wild bird rescue used to get them for her raptors. I also remember a documentary years ago with "recipes" for big-cat diets that included "x amount" of "y-aged" chicks. At the time, it creeped me out, but now it makes sense.

 

[Rick589]

They're middle-schoolers. Even when they're totally confused, they know ALL the answers, just ask 'em!

Yeah, and when they become full fledged teenagers they still know all the answers AND they'll let you know they do WITHOUT you having to ask.

 

[MROO]

Yeah, and when they become full fledged teenagers they still know all the answers AND they'll let you know they do WITHOUT you having to ask.

Which brings me to another "I remember when."
I remember when, as kids, we didn't need reminders or in-school reprimands for being rude to adults. It was the way we were raised, and KNEW better!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Many (a small percentage but a large number) get sold, frozen, into the pet/zoo/animal-care trade. I have a couple of students who buy them for their small pythons. A friend who did wild bird rescue used to get them for her raptors. I also remember a documentary years ago with "recipes" for big-cat diets that included "x amount" of "y-aged" chicks. At the time, it creeped me out, but now it makes sense.

Where do you think they get all that chicken for chicken meal and "chicken meal by-product" for dog food?

 

[Rick589]

Which brings me to another "I remember when."
I remember when, as kids, we didn't need reminders or in-school reprimands for being rude to adults. It was the way we were raised, and KNEW better!

And there was the threat of THE PADDLE always hovering, at least when I was in school. I actually got to feel the sting of it once.

 

[BDutch]

Well they generally speaking ‘get rid of them’.

They are humanely euthanized via CO2 and then shredded.

Yup when you have hundreds of thousands of product that you need to shift you do what you have to do. Businesses cannot afford to have feelings.

In Europe they have policies in place for hatcheries to use the males for meat.

They are also testing out ways to check for gender at day 1 of incubation, then cockerel eggs are sold as eating eggs but labelled as such.

https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id...n-technology-could-transform-the-egg-industry

Here in Canada they are also working on technology for gender testing:

https://www.poultryproducer.com/can...der-determination-for-white-and-brown-eggs-2/

Won’t be long now before we have this available everywhere.

I was just teasing. Anyway, my career put me in touch with all aspects of the meat poultry industry, hatchery to slaughter, I've seen it all. Gender didn't matter in this industry but never really considered what hatcheries not involved in meat chickens did with males. Actually a bit surprised to hear you say they perform.mass slaughters. I would have thought they would have more alternative outlets to at least recover some of the costs. In my career I've seen live chicks thrown into dumpster at some of the hatcheries, won't mention the companies and that always struck me a bit cruel. But, that's just me.

Male chicks from the industry (layer breeds) are not completely wasted. The male chicks are feed for snakes (alive), storks and other big birds (dead) and end up in nutritious cat feed.

And yes, there is one organisation in my country/Germany that keeps them for the meat (slowly grown, more expensive and more tasteful).

In the meantime are the number of hatcheries that work with detection in the egg increasing.

 

[BDutch]

Actually, Europe may not be much better about "disposing" of male chicks. There was an expose a few years back about how they pile them into garbage bags and throw them away, alive.

True or fake news?