The advent of gender-typing technology for eggs, exemplified by In Ovo’s Ella platform, signifies a notable breakthrough in mitigating ethical dilemmas linked to the culling of male day-old chicks within the poultry sector. In Ovo, a Netherlands-based agricultural technology company, has successfully developed and scaled the Ella platform, capable of discerning the sex of an embryo at day nine of incubation.
Martin Enderink, Global Sales Director at In Ovo, recently elucidated on the technology at the Poultry Innovations Conference in London, Ont. The significance lies in addressing the ethical quandary arising from the widespread practice of culling male chicks through methods like maceration, gassing, or cervical dislocation.
Research conducted at the University of Munich, as shared by Enderink, establishes that embryos do not perceive pain up to and including day 12 in-ovo. Therefore, removing male-determined eggs from the incubator at day nine is deemed harmless. In the laying hen industry, male chicks are surplus, as it is the female chicks that are reared for the table egg market, while selected males are retained for breeding purposes.
In Ovo’s Ella platform boasts the ability to screen 20 eggs simultaneously within seconds, utilizing a gender-biomarker, mass spectrometry, and candling. It facilitates the sorting of male chicks and non-viable eggs before replacing them in the incubation-bound baskets with female-only eggs. The rapid processing time minimally impacts the hatchery process, enhancing incubation capacity for both brown and white egg operations.
Enderink reports an impressive accuracy rate of 97 to 98%, with ongoing efforts to achieve 98.99% accuracy or better. Het Anker, a commercial hatchery in the Netherlands, embraced the Ella prototype in 2012, leading to its transformation into a cull-free facility by 2022. The hatchery’s capacity doubled in May 2023 to meet the growing demand for certified no-cull layer chicks.
Acknowledging the potential economic impact on smaller operations, Enderink emphasizes In Ovo’s commitment to ensuring their survival and success with the technology. The pricing structure is contingent on the machine’s full utilization, with considerations for hatcheries producing a minimum of 800,000 chicks annually.
In Europe, screened eggs have found a niche as a value-added product for pet food, catering to a burgeoning market. Symrise, a German food and flavoring ingredient company, initiated hatchery contracts for male eggs, creating a sought-after protein powder additive for pet food. The increased demand has led to higher-value egg contracts, redirecting male eggs from their previous use in zoos and raptor rearing.
Enderink notes that 10 to 20% of Europe’s hen flock currently originates from cull-free hatcheries. Animal welfare legislation varies across European countries, with some, like France and Germany, already banning the killing of day-old male chicks. Italy is poised to follow suit by the end of 2026, while discussions on cull bans persist in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Switzerland, following extensive stakeholder input, aims to standardize in-egg sexing by the close of 2024.
Enderink cautions that early adopters in Canada could influence government legislation, emphasizing the importance of informed decision-making to avoid unintended financial repercussions. He cites France’s cull ban, which exempts white egg producers and follows a cost-based formula without allowing for increased margins or profits throughout the value chain.
Highlighting the environmental implications, Enderink illustrates the challenges associated with raising male layers, including a prolonged growth period, poor feed conversion rates, and a high carbon footprint compared to male broilers. European roosters are primarily exported to Africa, posing sustainability concerns.
In Ovo, buoyed by a EUR$40 million loan agreement with the European Investment Bank, envisions expanding the Ella platform and developing Eve, a sensor platform aimed at optimizing the entire hatching process for enhanced animal welfare.
Enderink concludes with a call for the industry to embrace technologies and social responsibility, anticipating a resolution to the ethical dilemma of male chick culling for the benefit of future generations.
