Category: Ecology and animal protection

The open letter I signed calling for an end to male chick culling in the upcoming Animal Welfare Strategy received coverage in the Express over the weekend: https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2125495/joanna-lumley-chicks-hatch-dispatch

You can sign the petition here

In April I asked HMG this question: What actions HMG will take, if any, in response to a campaign launched on 3 April called ‘Ban Hatch & Dispatch’ by the Vegetarian Society calling on the Government to ban the practice of male chick culling in the United Kingdom.

and received this response:

The legislation sets out strict requirements to protect the welfare of animals at the time of killing, including male chicks from the egg production sector. Permitted killing methods for chicks, such as gas stunning and maceration, are based on scientific research and assessment to ensure birds are spared any avoidable pain, distress, or suffering. All laying hen hatcheries in the UK use argon gas mixtures as their stunning method. We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards. In recent years there has been rapid global progress in the development of technologies that allow chicks to be sexed in-ovo (within the egg). We welcome the UK egg industry investing in the development of day zero sexing technology.

I also wrote to the Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs saying:

As you know, our country is a nation of animal lovers. We care deeply for our pets, cherish the wildlife in our towns, cities, rural areas, and national parks, and demand high standards of welfare for our farmed animals.

However, according to the Government’s own Animal Welfare Committee, 40-45 million day-old male chicks are killed in the egg industry each year – usually by gassing – because they cannot lay eggs and are deemed unsuitable for meat production.

You may have become aware of a new campaign which has launched today, Ban Hatch and Dispatch, which calls for legislation to end the practice.

In recent years, technology has become available to determine the sex of a male chick while it is still in the egg, and at a stage of development before it can feel pain and distress. Its use has already been mandated in France and Germany, with Italy on course to implement it in the next two years.

Despite this, British egg manufacturers are continuing to cut costs by relying on the old method which is both cruel and unnecessary. 

I appreciate that farmers operate under tight margins, and that it is not economical to raise and keep male chicks from breeds optimised for egg-laying. However, now that the technology exists, its use must be mandated if we are to maintain the high standards of animal welfare for which the UK is known, and which I know you personally prize.

You and your colleagues at Defra have been doing fantastic work since entering office last year. Last week’s announcement of the Food Strategy Advisory Board to restore pride in our food is a welcome step, and one that closely aligns with the ‘Ban Hatch and Dispatch’ campaign. I have also welcomed the £110m announced in the Farming Innovation Programme.

You have demonstrated a commitment to the environment, and an openness to investment in new innovations to make our food sector the best it can be.

I appreciate that, as a member of the Government, you are not at liberty to publicly support this campaign, but I am hoping that you can work with us as we seek to amend the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015. This needs to happen as soon as possible, so the industry has time to make the transition before the end of this Parliament.

Egg manufacturers need time to adapt – there is an upfront capital cost for the installation of this equipment, as well as training and recruitment.

Our campaign believes that this cost should be shared fairly throughout the supply chain and not solely borne by the farming industry alone. Polling has shown that the public is willing to take on its share of the cost – which has been estimated by the Government’s own Animal Welfare Committee as likely to add 1p to the price of an egg.

There are a number of different routes for financing this transition, including:

1. The Government providing the entire upfront cost capital financing for hatcheries
2. Hatcheries financing, installing, and using the technology on a contract basis, passing the associated costs on to supermarkets, and supermarkets passing them on to the consumer at a rate of 1p per egg
3. A combination of the above, with the Government funding a portion of the upfront costs, and other associated costs absorbed by retailers and the public.

The Government has a golden opportunity to improve our food and farming system in accordance with its manifesto pledges. I appreciate that you and your Department are working hard to improve the quality of our food, improve animal welfare, and restore pride in our nation’s food system. The Ban Hatch and Dispatch campaign can be part of that.

but received no response.