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Monday, February 17, 2025

Kipster commits to in ovo sexing by finish of 2024


Dutch egg firm, Kipster, plans to eradicate male chick culling by adopting in ovo chick sexing at its U.S. farm by the top of 2024.

“In ovo sexing is an important step ahead that may enable us to eradicate chick culling straight away,” mentioned Ruud Zanders, co-founder of Kipster.

“This expertise gives an rapid and efficient resolution as we proceed to discover sustainable meat manufacturing that meets our excessive welfare requirements.”

Kipster is exclusive amongst its U.S. counterparts in that it raises its male layer chicks for meat manufacturing. Nonetheless, in keeping with a press launch, “a lack of important infrastructure and retail marketplace for rooster meat within the U.S.” has challenged that manufacturing mannequin. Because of this, the egg firm has chosen to undertake in ovo chick sexing as an answer.

The transfer would make the corporate one of many first U.S. egg manufacturers to undertake the expertise. Earlier this yr, Indiana-based producer Egg Improvements pledged to undertake in ovo chick sexing in 2025.

In ovo chick sexing

At present, a chick’s intercourse can solely be recognized after hatching. Male chicks are of little use to the egg trade and are sometimes thought-about too lean to eat by customers.

Roughly 6-7 billion male layer chicks are culled annually, an animal welfare and financial concern. Producers spend greater than $70 million in labor and power to incubate and intercourse these eggs and the worth of wasted eggs within the U.S. is greater than $440 million yearly.

Expertise that might decide a chick’s intercourse earlier than hatching, and be scaled to a industrial degree, may assist the egg trade eradicate male chick culling, get monetary savings and divert unhatched eggs to alternate makes use of.

At present, in ovo sexing expertise is barely utilized in Europe, and a number of international locations have enacted bans on male chick culling, prohibiting the observe. Germany and France carried out chick culling bans in 2022 and have absolutely transformed to in ovo sexing. Italy plans to implement a ban towards culling by the top of 2026.

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