The Price of Eggs

In the egg industry, male chicks are typically culled shortly after hatching due to their inability to lay eggs and unsuitability for meat production.

This culling often involves methods like maceration, where chicks are rapidly killed using high-speed grinders.

Given that approximately 300 million male chicks are culled annually in the United States , this translates to an average of about 34,000 male chicks being culled every hour.

However, the exact number of chicks macerated simultaneously can vary depending on the equipment and operational procedures of individual hatcheries.

Some industrial macerators are designed to process large quantities of chicks rapidly, ensuring immediate death to comply with animal welfare standards.