I'm so old I Remember when:

[Ponypoor]

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.

Hmmmm interesting, I cannot see a large reputable hatchery doing this. It’s been common practice for an extremely long time to use the cockerel chicks as additives for pet food, fertilizers and other things, that it would be like throwing money away doing that.

And getting caught would lead to huge fines. In Europe same as here there are usually onsite inspectors, I cannot see a large hatchery doing this. If this were true then I would say it would be a smaller independent hatchery.

I’d be interested to see this source, there are always those that go against the flow, I would be interested to know the hatchery..

 

[Ponypoor]

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?

Awwww even smarty pants kids are great sometimes you just wanna sell them but most times it’s fun listening to them, even when they mouth off.

 

[Ponypoor]

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.

Wow that’s like throwing money away here! The cockerel chicks are valuable as pet feed, etc.

I know that backyard flock keepers that get straight run chicks here will use the cockerels for the freezer. I would say most of the sex-links hybrids have a decent carcass at about 20 weeks. Slow growing equals better meat quality.

 

[Ponypoor]

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.

Yes same here. Wish they would grow out them more often, I detest the quality of chicken these days. The texture of the meat is just horrid.

 

[tripletfeb]

A bit off thread, but given that it’s easier to pull a tooth from a hungry lion WHILE it’s fighting a hungry bear than it is to re-home a rooster I started to wonder what hatcheries do with all of the boys they hatch out, given that most people want hens. anyone have any insight?

I volunteer at a raptor center, doing food prep. We get our food from a company called Rodent Pro. And some of the animals we get are chicks. And they are males, some it's easy to tell on, one had a comb that was very large for a day old chick. So, not all of them get killed and destroyed, some go to feed other animals

 

[tripletfeb]

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.

Suppose I should have kept reading before replying

 

[BigBlueHen53]

A forum is a place where discussion happens and learning takes place.

 

[jxp]

I'm old enough to remember when drug companies had their own salespeople selling to doctors before they were allowed(and decided) to beat us over the head with drug commercials in order to turn us into their salespeople.

I have a former coworker who left to become a salesperson for certain strains of "green medicine" when it became legal in this state.

 

[AntiqueB]

AP article:
https://apnews.com/article/business...uc-melenchon-0343015128c525448b98e6cd6fca79dd

The BBC also has one about it.

Unfortunately, while we see potential in "waste," not every manufacturer sees it, or is willing to take the extra step to sell it or use it. Cow hides are an example.

 

[EmmaDonovan]