Spain Working Toward Ban On Live-Chick Shredding in Egg Industry
On the heels of France announcing a ban on live-shredding or grinding of male chicks beginning in 2021, Animal Equality Spain (Iguladad Animal) met with Spanish agriculture officials who confirmed that the country is also close to announcing a similar ban.
CHANGE IS ON THE WAY: During talks with the General Director of Agricultural Production and Markets of Spain, we got confirmation that officials are working with the four major chick hatcheries in the country, which had previously been investigated by Animal Equality Spain, to end the egg industry’s cruel mass-culling of male chicks. If passed, this ruling would spare 35 million chicks a year from being killed shortly after birth.
WHY ARE MALE CHICKS CULLED?: Male chicks born into the egg industry are considered useless or “byproducts” because they’re unable to lay eggs. They aren’t the breed of chicken used for meat, so the meat industry doesn’t want the animals either. As a result, the chicks are typically thrown into massive grinders to be shredded, tossed into trash bags to suffocate, or they’re crushed to death.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO MALE CHICKS IF THEY’RE NOT CULLED?: France, and now Spain, are working on implementing a technology that allows employees to determine the sex of the chick before he or she has hatched. With this new technology, called in-ovo sexing, the male chick eggs can be destroyed before the animal has the capacity to feel pain or emotions.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: If implemented, in-ovo sexing will be a huge step in the right direction. However, birds birds in the egg industry still live miserable lives until the moment they’re killed. Even on cage-free farms, chickens are typically housed in massive, filthy sheds with thousands of other birds. They’re denied everything a chicken needs to be happy. The best way to help is simply by leaving eggs and other animal-derived foods off your plate! Check out Love Veg for tips to get started and for egg-alternatives!
