On 20 May 2021, the German Bundestag passed the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s bill banning the culling of male chicks. It came into force on 1 January 2022. Furthermore, from January 2024, sex determination in eggs will only be permitted before the 7th day of incubation. An online event organised by the nationwide project Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl presented farmers and farm managers with strategies for phasing out the practice, and was met with a consistently positive response.

The event was opened by Frank Hartmann and Dietmar Tepe from the Association for Controlled Alternative Animal Husbandry (KAT). Tepe began by briefly introducing the association, its areas of activity and the difference between head and hatch equivalents. Hartmann then presented possible recommendations for the rearing of brother cocks. He emphasised that these were compromise solutions agreed within the working group and that their practical viability would become apparent over time. The approved selection methods for sex determination, traceability and the controls carried out by the KAT system were also discussed.

In the second presentation, Mario Möckel from Lohmann Süd outlined the possibilities of in-ovo sex determination. He began by briefly outlining the legal framework, before going on to explain the various methods in terms of timing of application, error rates and costs. He criticised the fact that some of the systems mentioned would no longer be permitted under the stricter regulations coming into force in 2024. Möckel emphasised the significant need for further research in this area.

Finally, Annalina Behrens from the Fürstenhof producers’ association reported on her experiences in the rearing and breeding of male chicks. In doing so, she addressed the five key challenges.

• Housing
• Feeding
• Slaughter and cutting
• Marketing of the more expensive eggs
• Marketing the special meat

Since 2011, the Fürstenhof producers’ association has been rearing all viable chicks and has, during this time, gathered a wealth of knowledge on group size, the layout of the barn and aviary, and enrichment materials. For Behrens, free-range rearing has proven most successful for the brother cocks. With this rearing method, groups of all-male birds can also be kept stress-free, she advised the participants. She also addressed the downsides of rearing all-male birds, such as higher feed consumption due to less efficient feed conversion. At the same time, however, she also discussed the marketing opportunities for the meat from these birds.

Möckel and Behrens see the lack of slaughterhouses as the biggest problem for broiler cock rearing. The animals do not fit well into the conventional slaughter system, or rather, they are difficult to integrate into existing facilities. These issues, along with the lack of infrastructure for smaller farms not affiliated with the KAT, were discussed at the end. All speakers agreed that there is still room for improvement in brother cock rearing and that acceptance among end consumers needs to be strengthened. Möckel and Behrens further emphasised that the unequal treatment of German farms under the legislation coming into force on 1 January 2022, compared to other EU countries, must be addressed. How this can be achieved remains unclear; accordingly, Hartmann and Tepe also view this point as critical.

Author: Sophie Klinkhart, Thuringian State Office for Agriculture and Rural Areas