Exiting chick killing is not feasible at this point in time
Berlin, November 6, 2018. The German poultry industry is reacting with considerable irritation and great concern to the sudden initiative by Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner at a press conference on Thursday, November 8, to want to present what the ministry says is a “practicable method” for sex determination in eggs . The ZDG Central Association of the German Poultry Industry e. V. as an opportunity to formulate again the core requirements for such a procedure that are necessary from the point of view of the economy.
Unreserved commitment to exit as soon as there is a real alternative
"We are fully committed to phasing out male day-old chicks as soon as possible as soon as there is a real alternative," says ZDG President Friedrich-Otto Ripke. The industry has clear expectations for the process of sex determination in the egg, without favoring any particular method: “The best technology that represents real progress must be used. There can also be several systems next to each other.” A key requirement for the integration of in-ovo sex determination into the work processes of German hatcheries is real practicability, which the industry estimates requires a sorting capacity of around 100.000 eggs per day. According to the ministry, the SELEGGT process, which the ministry says is ready for practice, is currently well below this capacity at 3.500 eggs per hour. Real practical maturity requires even more, Ripke warns: "The state of the art must be achieved and there must be suppliers who can deliver this technology across the board for nationwide use - at reasonable purchase prices."
"Hasty statement jeopardizes the livelihoods of our innovative hatcheries"
"To prematurely speak of 'practicability' misjudges the actual economic situation," ZDG President Ripke criticizes the announcement as "not being thought through to the end", as it suggests an almost immediate exit from the killing of male day-old chicks as feasible. "We are extremely concerned that the veterinary authorities, with the ministry's hasty determination, consider the killing of the rooster chicks to be unfounded," says Ripke, describing the legal dimension and the possible impact on the economy. "Such a hasty statement is likely to jeopardize the entire existence of our innovative and globally valued hatcheries. Everyone involved should be aware of their responsibility here.”
Ethical dimension of high social relevance
From the point of view of society, the ethical dimension is likely to be of great relevance. A method that measures on the third day, for example, when no embryo can be identified is likely to find more acceptance than one that detects on the ninth day of incubation. "This in turn is not irrelevant for the future image of the poultry industry," said ZDG President Ripke. "Especially in a phase of rapid further developments, we shouldn't be looking at a time race in months, but at the end of the day the best process. So promising indications from Canada and from the University of Leipzig on the possible spectroscopic sex determination of the closed, intact egg should be followed up further.”
About the ZDG
The Central Association of the German Poultry Industry eV represents the interests of the German poultry industry at federal and EU level as a professional umbrella and umbrella organization vis-à-vis political, official and professional organisations, the public and abroad. The approximately 8.000 members are organized in federal and state associations. The German laying hen farmers are members of the Bundesverband Deutsches Ei e. V. (BDE) organized.
