While these guidelines are extremely welcome, there are some problems to be aware of. Errors while identifying the sex of chicks in-ovo are fairly common, with up to an estimated 1.4 million chicks every year being misidentified before they are born. These young sentient beings may still be killed: and the farms on which this happens may still label themselves as being a farm that does not kill male chicks, resulting in an obvious transparency issue.
Animal Equality will monitor the situation as it develops, working to ensure these rules are adequately enforced and that these problems are addressed, to the benefit of both the countless birds in this sector and the many citizens who care about their welfare.
Ending the suffering of male chicks in the EU
At the European level, it is vital that policy-makers take this move by the Italian government into account, and work on a concrete EU law to prohibit the culling of day-old male chicks. Such a ban already exists in countries including Germany and Austria, with several more having implemented initiatives to steer away from this cruel practice. However, many nations have still not taken any action at all, and this clearly needs to change.
Only EU-level policy can achieve the harmonised progress that is so urgently needed on this issue across all 27 Member States, making the killing of day-old male chicks a thing of the past, and saving countless lives from unnecessary and unethical slaughter.
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