Rearing the males for meat prevents them from being culled the day they hatch and gives them a purpose, so it sounds like a great solution on first-hand. However, there are two major drawbacks.
Firstly, it is economically unviable compared to rearing broilers, which are chickens specifically bred for meat. A broiler reaches a weight of 2.5 kg within 7 weeks, of which 1.8 kg can be used for human consumption. A male layer needs to be reared for about 12 weeks before it it can be slaughtered, and the meat suitable for consumption is ‘only’ 700 grams.
Secondly, a layer male doesn’t have a substantial enough breast fillet, it only grows meat that can be processed as an ingredient to be used in other products.
Therefore, as the layer males need to be reared for a longer time and only create a low output, this is an unsustainable solution.
