A historic shift is underway in the Dutch egg industry. The Minister of Agriculture has officially outlined a roadmap to phase out the culling of day-old male chicks.
A move developed in close collaboration with the poultry sector and animal welfare organizations. The industry has confirmed that it’s technically ready to make this transition, marking a turning point in how eggs are produced in the Netherlands.
With a clear plan in place and innovative technology at hand, the countdown to a more ethical and sustainable egg supply has begun. And we are proud and happy to play a big role in this.
The roadmap: phasing out chick culling in the Netherlands
The Dutch poultry sector, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality and animal welfare organizations, has developed a step-by-step plan to reduce the culling of male chicks.
The goal:
By 2026, no male chicks will be culled for eggs produced in the Netherlands and sold in the Dutch market
The impact:
Significantly fewer chicks culled annually in the Netherlands, which is a great step in animal welfare
The strategy:
A combination of industry players, new technologies, market adaptations, and regulatory support
The roadmap is built on three key approaches:
In Ovo sexing: Determining the gender of the hatching egg before it hatches, so only female chicks are incubated
Raising male chicks: Growing male chicks for meat instead of culling them on the day they hatch
Dual-purpose breeds: Developing chicken breeds that are suitable for both egg production and meat production
By implementing these solutions, the Netherlands is setting new standards for animal welfare, sustainability, and innovation in egg production.
What this means for the Dutch egg industry
The poultry sector has officially stated they are ready for the transition, because all hatcheries producing for the Dutch market have in ovo sexing technology installed and operational.
How this affects Dutch consumers
For Dutch consumers, this change means a more ethical and sustainable egg market. Cull-free eggs will become standard in a more transparent supply chain. While prices for cull-free eggs may be slightly higher, research shows that Dutch consumers are willing to pay more for ethical and sustainable products.
What this Chick culling bans in other countries
The Netherlands is not alone in this transition. Other European countries have introduced official bans on chick culling:
- Germany: Ban since 2022, requiring in-ovo sexing by latest day 12.
- France: Ban since 2023, with sex determination required no later than day 14.
- Italy: Legislation in progress, set for 2027.
- Austria: Regulations in effect on chick culling.
The movement toward a chick culling-free egg industry is clearly gaining momentum across Europe.
The role of In Ovo
At In Ovo, we have spent over a decade developing a solution that makes chick culling a thing of the past, efficiently and affordably. Our Ella technology is designed to seamlessly integrate into hatcheries, offering the fastest, most accurate, and most cost-effective in-ovo sexing solution available.
- High Speed: Ella processes thousands of eggs per hour, keeping up with the industry’s scale.
- High Accuracy: Our patented biomarker technology determines the embryo’s sex
- Low Costs: A fully automated, inline system minimizing labor and operational expenses
With a €40 million investment from the European Investment Bank, we are now scaling up to support the entire poultry sector, proving that efficiency and animal welfare can go hand in hand.
A future without chick culling in the Netherlands
On top of this, efforts are being made by all involved to increase market demand and supply of cull free eggs, ensure fair pricing for these eggs, further develop in-ovo sexing technologies, and establish a sustainable and animal-friendly rearing system for male layer chicks.
Additionally, ongoing research is concucted into the potential of dual-purpose breeds. The use of day-old male chicks as feed for zoos and birds of prey is also being explored, along with possible alternatives. More on this last subject in this article: https://inovo.nl/what-about-day-old-chicks-as-zoo-feed/.
