On 20 May 2021, the Bundestag finally passed the draft bill submitted by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture to amend the Animal Welfare Act. Under this legislation, the culling of male day-old chicks is to be banned from 1 January 2022. But what alternatives are there? This question was addressed at an online seminar organised by the Fokus Tierwohl network at the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture on 22 June.

Rising demand for rearing male chicks

Well-known alternatives to so-called ‘chick culling’ include sex determination in the egg, the rearing of male chicks, or the keeping of dual-purpose chickens. The seminar focused on the rearing of male chicks from laying hybrids, known as male chicks. The first speaker to be welcomed was Franz Josef Buske from Raiffeisen Ems-Vechte. He has been organising the contract rearing of male chicks in the organic sector since 2018 and in conventional agriculture since 2019. Presumably due to the impending legislative change, he reported a sharp rise in demand for brother cock rearing. Accordingly, the target for 2021 is to rear 11 million conventional cocks within the remit of Raiffeisen Ems-Vechte alone, in collaboration with ab ovo Geflügelvermehrung GmbH. In principle, a conventional broiler house is suitable for rearing brother roosters. As brother roosters are more agile than typical broiler lines, they should be encouraged to express their natural behaviours and perches should be provided in the house. Providing suitable enrichment materials also promotes a calm flock and can reduce rearing problems. With a rearing period of 12 to 15 weeks, the birds reach a live weight of around 1.5 kg, meaning they take significantly longer to reach a lower weight than their relatives bred for meat production. The latter already weigh around 2 kg after 33 days. Roosters that reach sexual maturity are prone to pecking fights, which can result in injuries. A special feed mixture is suitable, with ingredients that fall between those of pullet feed and broiler feed.

Practical example of an established brother cock rearing scheme

As the second speaker that afternoon, Babette Sauerland from the PRIO Geflügelhof Südbrock farm provided practical insights into her established brother cock rearing scheme. Due to a lack of alternatives, the farmer has developed her own concept for rearing and marketing male chicks, called ‘Mein Bruderhahn’. The unique feature of this approach is that it is aimed at both organic and conventional farms. Furthermore, each farm can flexibly choose from one of three models that can be combined with one another. One principle, however, remains the same for all: one cockerel for every hen. The first option, the purchase of live birds, represents the classic brother cockerel rearing method. In other words, a cockerel is purchased for every hen and reared until the end of the fattening period. Farms that do not wish to or are unable to rear cockerels can also opt for the second variant of the brother cockerel concept: the purchase of processed products. In this option, the roosters are reared at another partner farm of ‘Mein Bruderhahn’ and are subsequently slaughtered and processed. The nutty, aromatic meat of the brother rooster is suitable for various ready meals, ranging from fricassee and sausages to Bolognese or curry. If this option is also out of the question, there is also the possibility of ‘no purchase’. In return for a contribution towards the costs per cockerel, another farm takes on not only the rearing but also the marketing of the products. The wide range of options offered by Babette Sauerland’s Bruderhahn concept is designed to ensure that every laying hen farm, even if it lacks the capacity to rear its own Bruderhahns or to market Bruderhahn products, can participate in “Mein Bruderhahn”.

Over 100 participants showed great interest in this event. The presentations were followed by a lively and, at times, emotional discussion, which made it clear that the short-term ban on the culling of male day-old chicks exclusively in Germany presents farmers and the economy with various problems. Rapid, practical solutions are now required to prevent hatcheries from relocating to neighbouring countries, which would merely shift the conflict geographically.

Author: Alexandra Koch, Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture