Chick culling

Chick culling is the process of killing chicks that factory farms have no use of. Male chicks in the egg production industry fall victim to this practice every day, as they cannot lay eggs and do not grow large enough to become broilers.

Ducklings and goslings are also culled in the production of foie gras. Unlike chickens, it is the females that are culled because they do not grow as large as males. The remains of female ducklings are later used in cat food and fertilizers.

History
Before modern broiler meat breeds were developed, most male chickens (cockerels) were slaughtered for meat, whereas females (pullets) would be kept for egg production. Starting in the 1920s and 1930s, the industry successfully bred separate breeds for meat and egg producing. As a result, males of the egg-producing lineage were killed as soon as possible after being sexed to reduce financial losses on the breeder.

Methods
Many methods are used to cull chicks. They include:
 * Maceration - a process in which chicks are placed into a high speed grinder. It is the primary method in the United States.
 * Asphyxiation - carbon dioxide is used to induce unconsciousness and then death.
 * Cervical dislocation - the neck is broken.
 * Electrocution
 * Suffocation - chicks are placed in plastic bags

Statistics
Approximately 6 million male chicken chicks and 40 million female ducklings are culled worldwide per year.

Controversy and Welfare Efforts
Many methods of chick sexing before hatching are being researched. It allows chicks to be sexed and killed before they are capable of feeling pain.

In November 2018, the "world's first industry-scale production no-kill eggs" were available for sale to the public in Berlin, Germany.

In September 2019, the Switzerland parliament voted to outlaw the shredding of chickens.

On July 18th 2021, French Minister of Agriculture announced chick culling would be banned from January 1st 2022. On July 21st 2021, Germany and France made a joint declaration that called on other EU member states to prohibit chick culling throughout the Union. It was officially supported by Austria, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal.