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, “Video Shows Price of Cheap Eggs: Chicks Ground Up Alive” 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, Undercover Investigation at Hy-Line Hatchery, 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 Glaum Egg Ranch, a certified humane egg producer. But just to be sure, I made some inquiries. I called and emailed both Glaum Egg Ranch and also Humane Farm Animal Care, 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 Humane Farm Animal Care 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
Also — where does the by product of 7 billion mscerated baby chicks go — who makes money off that!?!
If safe for human consumption, could hens be fed something to only produce female eggs — or would that negatively impact whoever makes money on this? Also — are there alternative egg choices that don’t include this practice?
yuki1 I felt sad when I learned that about dairy, too. I visited a local, organic dairy to see how the cows were treated. If you’re interested, here’s what I wrote about it: http://myplasticfreelife.com/2009/10/learning-where-my-food-comes-from-a-field-trip-to-straus-dairy-farm/
More on topic: organic chicken could be raised with antibiotics.
https://www.motherjones.com/food/2014/01/organic-chicken-and-egg-antibiotics-edition/
Totally off-topic but it’s the same problem with dairy. I’m not eating dairy anymore but when I was, I tried to buy organic dairy because I thought the animals would be treated better (and also because it would be better for my health) but that’s not the case at all. Even if the milking cow are treated better, they still need to have calves for them to produce milk and most of them are sold to veal producers. These veal producers can have the worst kind of treatment for the calf. Let me tell you I stopped eating veal at once when I learned about what they do.
Does anyone know what companies use Hy-Line Hatchery? I can’t seem to find this info online. I’d like to start a boycott against any egg vendors that use them. If we vote with our dollars they have to change their ways.
No, I’m not a vegan/vegetarian, yell at me if you want. I live near countless FAMILY farms that raise and slaughter their own animals, but those animals are treated so kindly and with respect because the farmers who raise them understand their value. I’m not against eating animals or what comes from them, so long as they are treated with respect and live in the best possible conditions before and are killed in the most humane way possible.
What I am against is this: The killing of animals simply for profit/sport/no apparent reason. If you aren’t going to treat an animal humanely and with respect don’t freaking own an animal. Plain and simple. Factory farms and hatcheries like this make me sick. Baby chicks should NOT be ground up alive or treated like that, and this is coming from someone who isn’t a fan of chickens in general. I don’t know why, but for whatever reason I just don’t like chickens. But that doesn’t mean I want to throw a ton of baby chicks into a wood chipper. No, humans need to learn that just because we are slightly more intellectually advanced than some other species, we still need to learn that every life has value. Humans need to wake up, we’re not all we’re cracked up to be. Think about it:
Humans can’t lift 20X’s their own weight, but a tiny ant can.
Humans can’t run over 70mph, a cheetah can.
Humans can’t fly, crows and bats can.
Humans couldn’t survive if we were thrown into the woods alone, a housecat can.
And humans can’t love someone like a pet can, or love each other like animals do. Watch any video, in fact, here’s a link:
Sometimes I wonder why I belong to such a cruel species. At least nature has a reason. But I remember, it’s so I can help all the little animals, one by one.
Amy, what a coincidence that you should mention down because I just posted about it on the My Plastic-Free Life Facebook page and put up a video of live plucking. It’s just horrendous. Cruelty like that makes me sad for the state of humanity.
https://www.facebook.com/MyPlasticfreeLife/posts/202397319801068
I used to work at a bio-secure hatchery sexing ducklings. This was the hatchery that hatched the breeders for the food chain ducks. Every other week the company geneticist came in to do the ‘special’ ducks which, I’m assuming were genetically toyed with in some way. Anyway, any duckling that had black feathers was ‘culled’ or ‘humanely destroyed’ . YEAH RIGHT! They were put in a grinder. What’s crazy is these are Peking ducks which molt and the new adult feathers are white naturally when they become adults. I asked why they had to be killed and was told b/c they sell the down to companies that sell/produce feather pillows and comforters and they don’t want the black feathers in their products b/c it doesn’t look as nice. So, basically these poor babies are destroyed over a pillow or blanket. What this really goes to show, is that no matter how ‘green’ we think we are , there is always something we never thought of that’s damaging to nature or inhumane in some way . I will never buy a down pillow or comforter again b/c of this.
As far as eggs, I would purchase mine from a local farm and now that we are moving to the country, we will be raising our own chickens to be treated humanely.
Hillary, I know. It's weird. But consider the alternative. They're already doing it after the fact, killing live male chicks that can feel pain. As long as Americans demand cheap eggs in such large quantities, hatcheries will continue this inhumane practice. At least destroying embryos is less destructive, wasteful, and cruel than destroying live chicks.
Cousin Yellowstone, thanks for your reasoned and reasonable comments. I am sure my response to Anonymous was based on an emotional reaction. I felt like I was being accused of not caring about farm animals, when I fact I just written a post demonstrating that I do care about farm animals. I objected to the hostile tone of the comment, I guess.
And yes, I am sure that there are plenty of things I don't understand about farmed animals. I always want to learn more.
One thing you said which I agree with whole-heartedly:
"However, treating farmed animals as well as Arya and Soots results in animal products that can be afforded only as a special treat."
Yes. Which is why I wrote in my comment, "I do believe that animals raised for food should be treated with respect and that animal products should be eaten in moderation, as some (like beef) take a heavy toll on the environment." We don't need to eat meat every day, as some believe, and certainly we don't need to eat animal goods at every meal, as many people believe.
Do you think that if we all cut back significantly on the amount of meat, dairy, and eggs we consume, there would be less need for inhumane farm practices?
Regarding plastic, as you know, I still use some plastic. My electronics are plastic. But I cut back significantly on the amount I buy. I ask myself constantly, "Do I really need this?" I don't upgrade every time the latest and greatest computer or phone is released. That's kind of the same.
When plastic-free options are available, I advocate them. When they are not available, I want us to ask ourselves if we really need the products or if we can ask for plastic-free alternatives. As with meat products, the real issue is overconsumption. Would you agree with that?
Thanks, Catherine. I have written to Animal Welfare Approved and checked out their site. I'm not sure they have a standard for hatcheries either, but I'll let you know what I find out.
Keep in mind: the issue is not how adult birds are treated. There are standards for those, and we can buy Animal Welfare Approved or Certified Humane eggs and be assured the adult hens were well-treated. The issue is about the hatcheries that produce the chicks that later produce the eggs. They are not the same thing.
Dear Anonymous, I really wish you would leave your name so I know who I'm talking to. You wrote:
"I find it ironic that someone who would get so upset about a pelican with a stomach full of plastic has no problem supporting animal agriculture which, even when they aren't putting chicks into a wood chipper, is full of everyday cruelty and horror."
What have you seen in any of my posts that gives you the impression that I have "no problem" supporting animal agriculture? What is it that you are assuming to be the truth about me and the way that I live? In fact, this very post is one example of the fact that I am very concerned with how animals are raised.
"Being vegan is so much easier than being completely plastic free and at least, if no more so, better for the environment and the reduction of suffering."
Maybe yes. Maybe no. The fact is that the majority of people are not going to switch to veganism.
Look, I don't believe that eating animal products is inherently wrong. I do believe that animals raised for food should be treated with respect and that animal products should be eaten in moderation, as some (like beef) take a heavy toll on the environment. Factory farming is not only cruel, but it's unsustainable. We certainly don't need to eat meat in the amounts that typical Americans do.
But preaching veganism doesn't help in any but philosophical ways. If I believed it was immoral to eat animal products, I would be a vegan. But I wouldn't pretend to think that my being a vegan was going to end the suffering of farm animals without radical policy changes from above.
This is why I have been writing lately about how individual actions are important but not enough. This is why I am asking the readers of the this post, whether they are vegans or not, to write to the Secretary of Agriculture to ask that the practice of male chick maceration be stopped.
Most people are not going to stop eating eggs. But we can require hatcheries to stop grinding up live chicks. And we can purchase eggs from producers that provide humane living conditions for their hens.
Plastic is a different story. Plastic, especially disposable plastic, is detrimental to us and the environment, and I can't find anything nourishing in it. This is why I have given up plastic. But this is also why I am supporting plastic bag and bottled water bans. My plastic fast, like your animal foods fast, alone is not enough.
Oh crap. I was afraid that part might not be understood. Yes, eggs from Glaum might support the practice even though Glaum doesn't engage in it directly. They probably do. Which is why I and Glaum are upset. I will reword the post as soon as I can get back to a computer.