# The Price of Eggs (DD-505)

> Chick culling is the killing of male chicks in the egg industry. Males of laying breeds cannot lay eggs and are not efficient meat birds compared with broilers, so they are considered uneconomical. Common methods include gassing and maceration; regulations vary by country, and some countries have banned the practice or are adopting in-ovo sexing to identify males before hatching. The footage, credited to fuck.animal.cruelty, shows chicks on a hatchery line.

- Department: Nature
- First published: 2025-03-05
- Last updated: 2025-03-05
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-price-of-eggs/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## Quick facts

- **DD-505-F01**: Killing male chicks. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (What))_
- **DD-505-F02**: No eggs, poor meat yield. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Why))_

## Write-up

Male chicks of egg-laying breeds are usually killed after hatching. They do not lay eggs and grow too slowly for meat.

1. **What**: Killing male chicks.
2. **Why**: No eggs, poor meat yield.
3. **Methods**: Gassing, maceration.
4. **Rules**: Vary by country.
5. **Alternative**: In-ovo sexing.

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: The Reel lists cervical dislocation too; it is used but less common at scale.

## Video: The Price of Eggs: Male Chicks of Egg-Laying Breeds Are Usually Killed After Hatching

- Duration: 22.3 s · Published: 2025-03-05
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DG1Nv_ZSYQ6.mp4

### Transcript

Did you know, chick culling is the practice of killing male chicks in the poultry industry, particularly in egg production, because they cannot lay eggs and are not bred for meat production. Since male chicks of egg-laying breeds do not grow efficiently for meat like broiler chickens, they are considered economically unviable. Common culling methods include gassing, maceration or grinding, and cervical dislocation, all regulated for humane standards in many countries. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Which chicks are culled?**  
A: Industry. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (What) · Wikipedia: Chick culling)_

**Q: Why?**  
A: Economics. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Why) · Wikipedia: Chick culling)_

**Q: A method?**  
A: Common. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Methods) · Wikipedia: Chick culling)_

**Q: Alternative tech?**  
A: Before hatching. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Rules) · Wikipedia: Chick culling)_

**Q: Broilers are?**  
A: Growth. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Alternative) · Wikipedia: Chick culling)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Chick culling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_culling)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "The Price of Eggs." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-505, last updated Mar 5, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-price-of-eggs/