Respeggt cruelty-to-male-chick free eggs on sale in Germany

[KiekenKot]

An interesting story I saw in the newspaper today- The University of Leipzig and a Dutch company named Hatchtech have developed a method to sex eggs at 9 days of incubation on an industrial scale. A small hole is lazered in the eggs, a drop of fluid is extracted and tested for hormones. This allows for sexing the egg with a 98.5% accuracy rate. And this means that the sexing and destruction of newly hatched male chicks can be avoided.

Anything that makes this inherently cruel industry a bit less cruel is to be welcomed, I think, but I would guess this also profitable for the famers as they only have to incubate and hatch half of the eggs.

Very awkward brand name though!


https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/22/worlds-first-no-kill-eggs-go-on-sale-in-berlin
https://respeggt.com/en/the-process/

 

[Anaray]

Sorry, reply moved to correct thread.

 

[KiekenKot]

Thanks! What a friendly place this is!

 

[aart]

"By utilising a non-invasive procedure to extract the liquid the fertilised eggs are left unharmed. Hence the interior of the hatching egg is untouched and remains safe and sound"
How do they extract liquid from an egg in non-invasive way?<scratcheshead>
The shell and membranes would have to be breached...might not harm them, probably done in a sterile environment so they(the females) will still hatch.

Have read about this before, it is fraught with controversy...tho it sure sounds good!
I believe it's been in the works for several years.

The question of what to do with all those males is about as common as why did the chicken cross the road...or which came first the chicken or the egg.

Thinking this is only necessary for the sale of pullet chicks to egg producers,
or maybe to backyard flockers(wonders if the cost is viable for this market?).

It still is kinda silly, IMO, animals are killed for food, both human and livestock, all the time...does it really matter how and when?
Which may pose the question, when does life begin?

Where do all those male chicks go now?
Will our dog and cat food(just a guess) no longer contain chicken?

Just some thoughts, brain is racing this morning.

 

[rebrascora]

Will our dog and cat food(just a guess) no longer contain chicken?

There will just be a higher percentage of egg the pet food and less chicken.

It is a very interesting development. They say it will put a couple of cents on the price of an egg which isn't bad. Pretty amazing how they do it, by lazering a tiny hole in the egg and then increasing atmospheric pressure around the rest of the egg to force a drop out and takes a second per egg via the automated system they have developed for the production line.
It is an interesting debate as to what constitutes life and at what point we are more comfortable culling it but I suspect most of us would be able to drop 9 day incubated eggs into a blender and switch it on however putting live newly hatched chicks into a blender and then pressing the button would be a very different prospect. Even though I process surplus cockerels for meat, I don't think I could macerate chicks.

This technology has to be a step in the right direction and all credit to the scientists and German government who I believe helped fund the research.

 

[KiekenKot]

from what I read they use a laser to make a very small hole, and then the egg is placed in an environment with low air pressure, which forces a small amount of the contents out of the egg, whithout having the risk of contamination that would come from penetrating the egg with a needle. Very ingenious. I hope this works out, and at least some suffering can be avoided.

And Aart, most male chicks of egg laying chicken breeds are destroyed at birth (by gassing or even running them trough a wood chipper) because they grow too slowly and are not economically viable to raise as meat chickens. So that would be a nice thing to avoid in the future.

 

[KiekenKot]

Also, this procedure might add a little to the price, but I would personally pay a little more for a cruelty free egg. And I assume many with me. Also- the farmer does no longer have to sex and kill half of the chickens that hatch. There must be a lot of money saved that way?

 

[aart]

Even though I process surplus cockerels for meat, I don't think I could macerate chicks.

No, not something BYer's would do....but we're (probably) not going to buy sexed eggs either.
I hatch my own stock and slaughter and eat those cockerels at about 14 weeks.

The technology is indeed interesting....tho some of the other DNA tech is kinda weird.

And Aart, most male chicks of egg laying chicken breeds are destroyed at birth (by gassing or even running them trough a wood chipper) because they grow too slowly and are not economically viable to raise as meat chickens.

Yes, am well aware, but they doubt they just toss them in the landfill.

 

[CCUK]

An interesting story I saw in the newspaper today- The University of Leipzig and a Dutch company named Hatchtech have developed a method to sex eggs at 9 days of incubation on an industrial scale. A small hole is lazered in the eggs, a drop of fluid is extracted and tested for hormones. This allows for sexing the egg with a 98.5% accuracy rate. And this means that the sexing and destruction of newly hatched male chicks can be avoided.

Anything that makes this inherently cruel industry a bit less cruel is to be welcomed, I think, but I would guess this also profitable for the famers as they only have to incubate and hatch half of the eggs.

Very awkward brand name though!


https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/22/worlds-first-no-kill-eggs-go-on-sale-in-berlin
https://respeggt.com/en/the-process/

The British hen welfare Trust ran this story a few months back. If it will be rolled out across the mainstream hatcheries than I don't think it is anything other than good news as far as the culling of male chicks are concerned.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

most male chicks of egg laying chicken breeds are destroyed at birth (by gassing or even running them trough a wood chipper) because they grow too slowly and are not economically viable to raise as meat chickens.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Not true.. Destroyed, yes. Trashed, no. I volunteered at a wildlife rehab... and the male chicks from hatcheries are tossed in bags and sent to the freezer where they then get shipped out to zoos and wildlife centers to be fed out to their raptors, snakes, and other carnivores. They may also be used as fertilizer or such in other industries. And yes, as noted our dog feed. Even though they are "destroyed" a little earlier... doesn't make it less brutal to ME...

I agree with Aart on this one.

One thing it will impact is the amount of incorrectly sexed chickens that we consumers end up with. And I'm sure a lot of egg only keepers will appreciate that.

For the industry... it isn't about saving lives it's about the mighty bottom line. So they must feel as though this will save them money or they wouldn't be doing it.

I do think it's fantastic to see technology progress... And heck, if saves them some dollars it might also save the environment something. I'm sure end consumers will appreciate the higher sex accuracy.

Thank you for sharing!