AI and MRI are revolutionizing poultry sexing, offering alternatives to culling male chicks and improving efficiency in the egg and broiler industries.
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The poultry industry traditionally relies on sexing chicks immediately after hatching to separate males from females, as male layers produce little meat and do not lay eggs. Historically, male chicks were discarded and sacrificed in Europe. Recently, alternatives like in ovo sexing (sexing inside the egg) have emerged, with artificial intelligence revolutionizing the process. Companies are now using magnetic resonance imaging combined with AI to determine the sex of embryos in eggs, allowing female embryos to continue incubation while male or empty eggs are separated for alternative uses like feed or biogas.
Legislation across the EU is moving towards banning the culling of male chicks, with countries like Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, and France having implemented or planned such bans. While the European Commission’s efforts are seen as less ambitious, public opinion strongly opposes the practice.
Beyond egg production, AI is also being applied to sexing broiler chicks in fattening stages to separate them for different market sizes. Automation is increasingly adopted due to labor shortages and the need for efficiency. These advanced technologies aim to improve efficiency and potentially enhance animal welfare by reducing manual handling.
