Male Chicks Macerated for Our Eggs — But We CAN Take Action!
September 8, 2009
Male Chicks Macerated for Our Eggs — But We CAN Take Action!
Do your eggs come from a certified humane producer? Please read this article anyway because it may apply to you, too.
This post is not about plastic. And the information I’m going to share is gruesome, alarming, and heartbreaking. I’ve been sitting with this knowledge all weekend but didn’t want to write a post until I had more information and ideas for action that we can take. Please read on if you care about the welfare of farm animals, and especially if you enjoy eating eggs.
A Shocking Revelation
Last Thursday, Michael forwarded me an article and video about a practice that seems so cruel it takes my breath away. The article, “” describes a video posted on YouTube by the group Mercy for Animals revealing some pretty inhumane conditions at a facility that hatches chicks for egg producers. The video, , shows chicks being roughly handled as they go down a conveyor belt as humans separate out the males from females, tossing the males down a chute where they fall into a machine called a macerator and are ground alive.
Apparently, this is a very common practice. The males are undesirable because a) they can’t lay eggs and b) the males of the species raised for eggs are not good meat producers. And apparently, this practice is considered humane by several regulatory agencies.
I was shocked, appalled, and sickened by what I saw. But I also thought I couldn’t be contributing to this problem because I get my eggs from the farmers market, from , a certified humane egg producer. But just to be sure, I made some inquiries. I called and emailed both Glaum Egg Ranch and also , the organization that certifies farms as humane. I wanted to know what standards existed about this practice, and I wanted to learn how Glaum treats its male chicks.
Certified Humane Does Not Apply to Hatcheries What I learned is that Glaum doesn’t engage in this practice because it doesn’t hatch its own eggs. In fact, few egg producers do. They buy their eggs from pullet producers which buy their eggs from hatcheries. Which means that humane egg producers may be inadvertently supporting this practice through the chicks they buy!Since this news was revealed, Glaum has been doing its own investigating. They are as concerned about this practice as we are. I’m concerned that my certified humane eggs may have originated from chicks hatched at one of these inhumane facilities. And does not have a standard for certifying hatcheries because it simply does not have the resources to do so.
I had a really great conversation this morning with Adele Douglass, Executive Director of Humane Animal Care, who explained to me a little history of the organization and how it came about. Adele had worked for many years in congress and for several organizations lobbying for the welfare of animals. Eventually, she got involved in rewriting agricultural guidelines, so she’s seen how slow the wheels of government turn. As a consumer, she felt overwhelmed and powerless by the mailings she would get from organizations like PETA, that simply offered no other alternative to consumers than complete veganism. She wanted to find a market solution, and that’s why she and several friends created the Certified Humane labelling program, investing all the money they had in something they believed in.
Humane Farm Animal Care is primarily concerned with the treatment of animals being raised for food and for eggs. You can read the details of the standards on their web site. And the organization actually audits every single farm that requests certification. Regarding hatcheries, here is what Adele wrote me:
We did not write hatchery standards because we did not have any control of the hatcheries. The farmers, as I said, purchase the birds from pullet growers. We do not have the resources to inspect all the pullet growers and then trace back and inspect all of the hatcheries in the US, considering the small number of farmers that are on our program. Every standard must be inspected and audited for. There is no point in writing standards unless you have the capacity to inspect, annually, each and every standard.
That said, the organization absolutely DOES NOT advocate the practice of live male chick maceration and would like to see it stopped.
We Can Take Action!
Besides eschewing eggs, there are other steps we can take to see that this practice is ended as soon as possible. Adele Douglass also told me that research is being done into a procedure for sexing male embryos so that the chicks do not have to actually be hatched and killed. She suggests we write to the Secretary of Agriculture to express our concerns about the treatment of male chicks and ask that funds be allocated for research into alternative methods for sexing males to avoid inhumane treatment.
Write to:
Honorable Tom Vilsack U.S. Department of Agriculture Room 200-A The Whittenberg Building Washington, DC 20250
Dear Mr. Secretary:
I am appalled by the practice of live male chick maceration that is routinely practiced in hatcheries. There is promising research on sexing embryos which would eliminate the current methods of male chick euthanasia. The USDA can help end this inhumane practice by putting funds toward research into sexing embryos. I would like to see this procedure developed as soon as possible to end the suffering and waste created by the painful destruction of so many live birds.
Sincerely,
Beth Terry
Baby Chicks Incubator in
Jeremiah, Kentucky
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Jeremiah Kentucky,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Jeremiah
Kentucky also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Jeremiah Kentucky, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Jeremiah KY.
Baby Chicks Coop in
Jeremiah, Kentucky
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Jeremiah Kentucky
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Jeremiah Kentucky * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Jeremiah
Kentucky * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chicks Supplies in
Jeremiah, Kentucky
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Jeremiah Kentucky is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Jeremiah,
Kentucky Baby chicks are very
charming as well as
difficult to resist,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
correct products, yet
likewise the appropriate
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you simply should supply them with the following: A
clean as well as warm
habitat A lot of food and water Focus and
love Environment Your environment could be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to start, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using just
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You additionally require
something to serve up food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and also a pet dog bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you should
provide them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and weekly this can
be reduced by
around 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your warmth
light, you need to
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you should put some heat.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is key and it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to change
the bed linens
frequently and
constantly supply clean
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow really quickly
which needs a lot of tidy
food and water. Offer
sufficient at all times as well
as examine
often to
stop dehydrated and also
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't take
up that task up until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Interest and love There are a
few benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will more than likely bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
see their behavior, you could
catch illness or various
other troubles previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other harmful
indications. Make certain to
additionally consider
their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted feathers as well
as blocked cloaca.
Finally, it is important to look out
for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
as well as relocate outside right into a
coop. Look into our
part on chicken cages to find out
more
about cages and
proper cage habitats.
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