DeNovo – Ending the killing of male chicks in egg farming

💛 Millions of male chicks are killed every year simply because they cannot lay eggs.

In the egg industry, male chicks from egg-laying breeds are systematically killed shortly after hatching because they are not economically viable for egg production or meat. This practice — known as chick culling — results in the death of millions of animals each year and causes significant animal welfare concerns. 

In Chile alone, an estimated 11.8 million male chicks are killed annually, usually through maceration or CO₂ exposure immediately after birth. Because approximately half of all chicks hatched are male, the problem is structurally embedded in egg production systems. Without intervention, the number of affected animals is expected to continue increasing as egg production grows. 

Despite the scale of the issue, regulatory frameworks in many countries still allow this practice, and alternatives are not widely adopted. This program addresses the problem by accelerating the transition to technologies that identify the sex of chicks before they hatch, preventing the birth — and subsequent killing — of male chicks. 

👥 Who Will Benefit

Primary beneficiaries

• Male chicks from egg-laying breeds that would otherwise be killed at birth
• Chick embryos in industrial hatcheries
• Animals in the egg supply chain affected by hatchery practices

Secondary beneficiaries

• Egg producers and hatcheries adopting higher animal welfare standards
• Retailers seeking ethically sourced products
• Consumers concerned about animal welfare
• Animal welfare systems and regulatory frameworks

In Chile

Access to humane alternatives in hatchery practices is extremely limited.

• There is no specific national prohibition on male chick culling.
• Public information on hatchery practices is scarce.
• Adoption of technological alternatives remains minimal or nonexistent. 

At the same time, egg production continues to grow, reinforcing the scale of the problem. This creates an urgent opportunity to introduce technologies and market incentives that prevent the killing of male chicks before it occurs. 

📊 Metrics Donors Can Understand

Evidence-backed outcomes:

Participants showed:

• Potential reduction in the number of male chicks killed at hatcheries
• Corporate commitments from producers and retailers to adopt humane technologies
• Expansion of in-ovo sexing technology, which identifies the sex of embryos before hatching
• Increased availability of eggs produced without chick culling

A key impact metric used by the program is:

Potential Male Chicks Saved — the estimated number of chicks that are never born into systems where they would be killed because sex determination occurs earlier in the incubation process. 🌍 Why This Matters

Supporting this intervention can help prevent the suffering and premature death of millions of animals each year. By catalyzing corporate commitments and accelerating the adoption of proven technologies such as in-ovo sexing, this program aims to transform how the egg industry operates. Evidence from international markets shows that technological adoption and corporate commitments can drive rapid structural change. Helping scale this transition offers a practical and cost-effective pathway to significantly improve animal welfare across the food system.