The Swiss food sector will adopt from 2025 the technology that allows the sex of chicks to be determined before hatching, in order to avoid the culling of male siblings of laying pullets — a common practice in the poultry sector worldwide.
The technique, presented to the public at the end of August by the laying farm association GalloSuisse, will use magnetic resonance imaging and artificial intelligence for egg scanning at 11 or 12 days of incubation, in order to determine the sex of the embryo and prevent hatching in the case of males.
According to the public announcement, the measure will be implemented across the three companies of GalloSuisse (Aviforum, Animalcco and Prodavi), and the company responsible for its implementation will be Orbem, from Munich, in partnership with the Vencomatic Group from the Netherlands.
This measure will increase egg production costs by approximately one and a half centimes of a franc (or euro) per unit. However, it will represent a major step forward for the sector, as the Swiss Government banned the maceration of day-old male chicks in 2020, although this practice has gradually been replaced by other culling methods, while the search for alternatives prior to chick hatching has continued.
Agreed timelines for implementing the ban on chick culling in Switzerland
- In the organic sector, the elimination of chick culling is being carried out progressively through the rearing of male siblings from laying lines and the rearing of dual-purpose hens. More male sibling chicks from laying hens are already being reared; by the end of 2025, organic guidelines envisage a rate of 100%.
- In the conventional sector, the transition to in-ovo sex determination will be carried out in a single stage. The necessary technical installations will be operational at the two major hatcheries from early 2025 onwards and will gradually increase their capacity. By the end of 2025, the processes should be well refined and running at full capacity. The choice of a non-invasive method for in-ovo sex determination reflects the commitment to finding a solution that is appropriate in ecological, economic and ethical terms.
What technology will be used?
The in-ovo sex determination device developed by Munich-based company Orbem and its partner Vencomatic Group, a specialist in automation, enables the interior of an intact egg to be examined in order to determine the sex of the embryo. The process is based on the intelligent imaging technology “Genus Focus”, which combines accelerated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and artificial intelligence (AI). The procedure is carried out between day 11 and day 12 of incubation, which is when some scientific studies consider that the embryo may begin to feel pain.
What will in-ovo sexing cost the Swiss consumer?
Stakeholders throughout the entire value chain have committed to incorporating the costs of this measure into price calculations from 1 January 2025 onwards, and to funding it through egg sales. The total cost of in-ovo sex determination will be communicated transparently and will amount to 3 francs per female pullet (excluding VAT). According to GalloSuisse, eggs sold through direct sales are expected to be up to 1.5 centimes more expensive, depending on the category. With regard to retail price setting, each egg producer will continue to set prices freely and independently, as has been the case up to now.