Male Chick Culling: Understanding the Numbers

Every second, approximately 200 male chicks are killed in the egg industry worldwide. This page explains our methodology, sources, and the specific claims we make.

The Claim We Make

> "{count} male chicks were ground alive in macerators (useless to the egg industry)"

This page explains both how many male chicks are killed and how we know about the methods used.

What Happens

In the egg industry, only female chickens are valuable because males of egg-laying breeds: - Cannot lay eggs - Do not grow fast enough to be raised profitably for meat (egg-laying breeds are bred for egg production, not meat)

Within hours of hatching, chicks are sorted by sex. Male chicks are then killed using one of these methods:

• **Maceration:** Chicks are fed into a high-speed grinder (instantaneous death)
• **Gassing:** Chicks are exposed to CO2 (takes several minutes)
• **Suffocation:** Chicks are placed in bags or containers where they suffocate

Maceration is the most common method in the United States and is considered by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to be a humane method of euthanasia when performed correctly.

This happens in every commercial egg operation, including those labeled: - "Cage-free" - "Free-range" - "Organic" - "Pasture-raised"

These labels only describe how hens are housed, not how male chicks are treated at hatcheries.

The Scale

| Timeframe | Count | |-----------|-------| | Per second | 200 | | Per minute | 12,000 | | Per hour | 720,000 | | Per day | 17,280,000 | | Per year | ~7,000,000,000 |

How We Calculate This

Global layer hen population: ~7.7 billion at any time - Source: FAO FAOSTAT (2022)

Replacement rate: Layer hens are replaced every 18-24 months

Chicks hatched for egg industry: ~7-8 billion female chicks annually

Male chicks culled: For every hen, roughly one male chick is hatched and culled = ~7 billion annually

Our calculation: 7,000,000,000 ÷ 31,536,000 seconds = 222 per second (displayed as 200)

Sources for the Count

FAO FAOSTAT - **Organization:** Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Intergovernmental) - **Year:** 2022 - **What it measures:** Global poultry population and production statistics - **Link:** [fao.org/faostat](https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL)

Humane Society of the United States - **Organization:** Humane Society of the United States (NGO) - **Year:** 2023 - **What it measures:** Industry practices and animal welfare in egg production - **Key finding:** Approximately 7 billion male chicks are culled annually worldwide - **Link:** [humanesociety.org](https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/eggs-and-laying-hens)

Sources for the Practice

European Commission - Chick Killing - **Organization:** European Union Government Body - **Year:** 2023 - **What it documents:** EU regulations and data on male chick culling, including approved methods - **Key finding:** Documents maceration, gassing, and other methods as standard practice; some EU countries now banning maceration - **Link:** [food.ec.europa.eu](https://food.ec.europa.eu/animals/animal-welfare/animal-welfare-practice/killing-animals-chick-killing_en)

AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals - **Organization:** American Veterinary Medical Association (Industry/Professional) - **Year:** 2020 - **What it documents:** Approved methods for euthanasia of poultry - **Key finding:** Lists maceration as an acceptable method for day-old chicks when equipment is properly maintained - **Link:** [avma.org](https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/avma-guidelines-euthanasia-animals)

United Egg Producers - Animal Husbandry Guidelines - **Organization:** United Egg Producers (Industry) - **Year:** 2023 - **What it documents:** Industry practices for chick handling at hatcheries - **Key finding:** Confirms standard industry practice of male chick culling - **Link:** [unitedegg.com](https://unitedegg.com/)

In-Ovo Sexing Technology Development - **Organization:** Various (Academic/Industry) - **Year:** 2022-2023 - **What it documents:** Development of technology to determine sex before hatching - **Key finding:** Some countries (Germany, France) have banned chick culling, driving development of in-ovo sexing technology - **Context:** Demonstrates this practice is being recognized as a welfare concern

Confidence Assessment

| Aspect | Confidence | Notes | |--------|------------|-------| | Male chicks are culled | High | Standard practice documented by industry, government, and NGOs | | Maceration is common method | High | AVMA guidelines, industry standards, EU regulations | | ~7 billion annually | High | Based on layer hen population and sex ratio | | Occurs in all egg types | High | Practice is at hatchery level, not farm level | | Overall claim | High | Both the method and scale are thoroughly documented |

--- Last updated: January 2026 | Data year: 2022-2023 | Confidence: High