On World Egg Day, a coalition of celebrities, MPs and animal welfare campaigners pressed the UK government and egg industry to commit to ending the annual culling of roughly 45 million male chicks, which occurs because the birds cannot lay eggs and are deemed uneconomical for meat production.
Celebrity and Political Pressure Builds
Dame Joanna Lumley joined the call, stating: “Around the world, countries are turning their backs on male chick culling and switching to in-ovo sexing technology, a far more ethical and efficient alternative. Today, I urge the UK Government and egg industry to work together to end the cruel and completely unnecessary practice of killing millions of male chicks.”
Labour MP Irene Campbell, representing North Ayrshire and Arran, is leading parliamentary efforts, with more than 50 politicians signing an open letter demanding action. Campbell argued: “Routine male chick culling has no place in the UK. We must live true to our values as a nation of animal lovers and transition to a kinder, more sustainable alternative.”
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The government’s Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published in December 2025, noted it “would like to see an end to the practice of killing day-old chicks,” though campaigners say no timetable has been set.
In-Ovo Sexing Technology Spreads Abroad
In-ovo sexing identifies the sex of a developing chick before hatching, allowing male embryos to be removed rather than killed after birth. Research by Innovate Animal Ag shows adoption accelerating internationally, with the method used across 40 percent of the European Union’s commercial egg-laying flock as of June 2026.
More than 281 million male embryos have been removed before hatching worldwide since 2021. Switzerland, which introduced the technology in 2025, achieved adoption rates of 85 to 100 percent across its layer flock. Norway reached approximately 52 percent, while uptake is expanding in the United States, Australia and Brazil.
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The UK’s Animal Welfare Committee recommended in its 2023 opinion that the practice be banned “as soon as accurate methods for sexing eggs prior to hatch are available to be implemented in GB hatcheries.”
Campaigners Push for 2028 Deadline
The Vegetarian Society launched its Ban Hatch & Dispatch campaign in April, urging a clear timetable to end male chick culling by 2028. Polling cited by the group suggests 76 percent of UK respondents would accept paying one penny more per egg to avoid products linked to culling.
Jenny Canham, Public Affairs Lead at The Vegetarian Society, said: “It’s shocking that most eggs in the UK currently come from male chick culling having taken place, while most of the public are completely against this cruel practice. This World Egg Day is a reminder of the cruel reality faced by millions of male chicks every year, killed within hours simply because they cannot lay eggs. The UK Government and egg industry must work together to change this and set a clear timeline for ending male chick culling once and for all.”