Submitted by redingerforcongress t3_ztp1rh in Futurology
Comments
FuturologyBot t1_j1eldk9 wrote
The following submission statement was provided by /u/redingerforcongress:
> An estimated 4-6 billion male chicks are slaughtered globally every year because they serve no economic purpose. Some are suffocated, others are fed alive into grinding or shredding machines to be processed into reptile food.
“If you can determine the sex of a hatching egg you can entirely dispense with the culling of live male chicks,” said Seleggt managing director Dr Ludger Breloh, who spearheaded the four-year programme by German supermarket Rewe Group to make its own-brand eggs more sustainable.
Breloh said his first breakthrough came when he approached scientists at the University of Leipzig where Prof Almuth Einspanier had developed a chemical marker – similar to a pregnancy test – that could detect a hormone present in high quantities in female eggs. Mixed with fluid from fertilised eggs at nine days, the marker changes blue for a male and white for a female, with a 98.5% accuracy rate.
A laser beam burns a 0.3mm-wide hole in the shell. Then, air pressure is applied to the shell exterior, pushing a drop of fluid out of the hole. The process takes one second per egg and enables fluid to be collected from eggs without touching them.
“It worked absolutely faultlessly,” said Breloh of the test phase. “Today, female hens are laying eggs in farms in Germany that have been bred without killing any male chicks.”
Article from 2018 in regard to cull-free eggs nearly a half of decade later
Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/ztp1rh/december_2018_worlds_first_nokill_eggs_go_on_sale/j1egi8x/
[deleted] t1_j1enzhq wrote
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[deleted] t1_j1eo7on wrote
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Milk_toesss t1_j1ewrsc wrote
Marketing. Saving money is the only motivation for doing this. After the first five days, you can cut your incubator and care costs in half or, using the potential "waste chicks," profit in another week.
[deleted] t1_j1f6znu wrote
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Goinfederal t1_j1fddgd wrote
Well, if I were a chicken, I'd prefer to be crushed at birth instead of having to work as an egg-laying hen in agriculture.
PtrWalnuts t1_j1fyuzy wrote
It's a great idea because not only does it stop the cruelty but the heck of a lot more efficient.
gerkletoss t1_j1g30yr wrote
Some of those male chicks, instead of being shredded, are killed via inert gas asphyxiation, then frozen and sold to reptile owners.
mjkjg2 t1_j1g5vbn wrote
I’m willing to bet a lot of egg consumers didn’t know this
[deleted] t1_j1gb350 wrote
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mudrolling t1_j1gferu wrote
The only other motivation is being able to market this as “no-kill eggs” as if they aren’t still abusing the hens that they keep. Looks like that part is working.
Duffynori t1_j1gk2ch wrote
Literally had no idea and am horrified now and googling these eggs
WritewayHome t1_j1gok2z wrote
Why isn't his government mandated? It's nearly 5 years old.
Vegasus88 t1_j1gqo17 wrote
Because it's lies.
dontberidiculousfool t1_j1gvxmc wrote
I’ve never met a vegetarian who knew this. Very short trip to vegan once they find out.
[deleted] t1_j1h4bu0 wrote
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[deleted] t1_j1hbe6v wrote
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Lord_Buttchug t1_j1hd02g wrote
You think these guys just made up the complicated process of shooting the egg with a laser and marking it male or female for shits and giggles?
That's not even an interesting clickbait, and probably not a lie, unlike 90% of this subreddit
PaulR79 t1_j1heafx wrote
I'm vegetarian but haven't had eggs for a long time. The only thing that prevents me from being vegan is my love of chocolate and cheese. Some people will try to tell me there are vegan chocolates and cheeses but I know they're lying. Those vile creations can never compete.
gophergun t1_j1hk66o wrote
Even so, not abusing additional animals on top of that seems like an improvement.
[deleted] t1_j1hr3eu wrote
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UndeadCameron t1_j1i1cpv wrote
Sure didn’t, it’s awful.
Vegasus88 t1_j1iirey wrote
Just like plastic recycling it lies. They have an ecuse to kill more chick now.
Marvele10 t1_j1ivlt6 wrote
... chocolate isn't vegan?
pippybongstocking93 t1_j1izjg8 wrote
Dark chocolate is. Milk chocolate is not.
[deleted] t1_j1jqkwy wrote
[deleted] t1_j1k8omq wrote
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PaulR79 t1_j1qaqlb wrote
I don't like dark chocolate, too bitter for me. Milk chocolate isn't vegan.
redingerforcongress OP t1_j1egi8x wrote
> An estimated 4-6 billion male chicks are slaughtered globally every year because they serve no economic purpose. Some are suffocated, others are fed alive into grinding or shredding machines to be processed into reptile food.
“If you can determine the sex of a hatching egg you can entirely dispense with the culling of live male chicks,” said Seleggt managing director Dr Ludger Breloh, who spearheaded the four-year programme by German supermarket Rewe Group to make its own-brand eggs more sustainable.
Breloh said his first breakthrough came when he approached scientists at the University of Leipzig where Prof Almuth Einspanier had developed a chemical marker – similar to a pregnancy test – that could detect a hormone present in high quantities in female eggs. Mixed with fluid from fertilised eggs at nine days, the marker changes blue for a male and white for a female, with a 98.5% accuracy rate.
A laser beam burns a 0.3mm-wide hole in the shell. Then, air pressure is applied to the shell exterior, pushing a drop of fluid out of the hole. The process takes one second per egg and enables fluid to be collected from eggs without touching them.
“It worked absolutely faultlessly,” said Breloh of the test phase. “Today, female hens are laying eggs in farms in Germany that have been bred without killing any male chicks.”
Article from 2018 in regard to cull-free eggs nearly a half of decade later