An investigation by the organization Mercy For Animals (MFA) documented the crushing of newborn male chicks in a large egg industry hatchery in the southern region of the country. According to the organization, approximately 35,000 animals were killed in one day in the investigated unit. The name of the company was kept confidential.
The chicks were less than 24 hours old and were placed in machines with high-speed rotating blades. The practice occurs because males do not lay eggs and, according to research, do not have genetic characteristics considered suitable for meat production. In the production chain, they are separated from the females shortly after birth and destined for disposal.
MFA Vice President of Investigations, Luiza Schneider, clarified that the objective was not to investigate a specific complaint, but to document a practice representative of almost the entire industry. According to her, the central issue is animal welfare.
"Newborn chicks have full sentience capacity, which means the ability to feel fear or physical pain. They have a fully formed nervous system," said Luiza.
The investigation material also points out that mechanical macerators do not always cause death immediately, which, according to the organization, can prolong suffering.
The investigation also recorded the discarding of females. According to the MFA, they were eliminated in smaller numbers when they presented anomalies, deformities, bleeding or premature birth, or when they exceeded the breeders' demand.
Alternatives
One of the alternatives presented by the organization is called in ovo sexing, a technology that identifies the sex of the embryo during incubation. Eggs with male embryos can be removed before hatching, preventing chicks from being born and subsequently discarded.
The technology is already used in other countries.
According to the organization Innovate Animal Ag, in the European Union around 130 million of a total of approximately 340 million layers came from the method in June this year.
Germany, France, Austria and Italy have adopted legislation that prohibits shredding, while Norway and Switzerland are moving towards eliminating the practice by market decision.
In Brazil, the first in ovo sexing machine was installed in July 2025 at the Hy-Line do Brasil hatchery, in Nova Granada, in the interior of São Paulo.
The initiative's anchor client was Raiar Orgânicos, which has around 400,000 birds and has committed to converting the entire flock. The first eggs produced with the technology reached the market in December of that year.
Costs
Adoption of the technology, however, is still low. According to the overview prepared by Innovate Animal Ag, the machine installed in Brazil operates below capacity. The document points out that the main obstacle is still financial. The estimate is that the conventional method costs around R$7 per bird in Brazil, while the additional technology costs between R$5 and R$10 per bird. Which corresponds to an increase of approximately 80% to 150% on the price of the bird.
The cost, however, can be spread throughout production. According to the study, a layer produces around 350 eggs during the cycle, meaning the additional value per bird corresponds to a few cents per dozen for the consumer.
Vanessa Garbini, vice-president of Institutional and Government Relations at MFA, believes that the fact that other countries are adopting new forms of production is proof that final costs do not make the industry's gains unfeasible.
"The fact that Switzerland and Norway, for example, implemented in ovo sexing without even having legislation, simply because they saw the benefits it brings to consumers, shows that the cost of the change is not that great. If it were unfeasible, it wouldn't be happening in Europe", argues Vanessa.
There are signs of interest from the industrial sector. Animal protection organizations cite public commitments from companies such as Planalto Ovos, Grupo Mantiqueira and Korin to suspend crushing, conditioned on the existence of a technology considered economically accessible and operationally viable.
In August, a national meeting on in ovo sexing brought together representatives of technology companies, egg producers, financial institutions and public bodies, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) and the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep).
National Congress
In Brazil, there is still no specific federal standard that prohibits or restricts the disposal of male chicks. The topic, however, has already reached the National Congress, through bills 783/2024 and 3034/2026.
PL 783/2024, authored by deputy Luciene Cavalcante (PSOL-SP), has already passed through the Environment Committee and the Agriculture, Livestock, Supply and Rural Development Committee of the Chamber of Deputies.
According to the organization, the PL received a contrary opinion from the Agriculture Committee for economic reasons and should go to the plenary.
PL 3034/2026, presented by deputy Helóisa Helena (Rede-RJ) in June, is still at the beginning of processing.
The Federal Constitution prohibits practices that subject animals to cruelty, without establishing distinction between species. Environmental legislation also addresses mistreatment.
For the MFA, these devices can be used in the discussion about the practice, although the legal assessment of each case is up to the competent authorities.
The MFA also informed that it intends to forward a complaint to the Public Ministry so that the responsible bodies can evaluate the practices recorded in the investigation.
Consumer
The change is also supported by research on consumer behavior. A survey carried out by Innovate Animal Ag with 1,553 egg buyers in Brazil showed that 73% feel uncomfortable with the slaughter of male chicks and 76% agree that the industry should find an alternative.
The same study showed that 79% showed interest in buying eggs produced with in ovo sexing. Among those interviewed, 76% said they were willing to pay more for the product, with an average willingness of R$3.87 per dozen.
For Luiza Schneider, the lack of information helps explain why the issue still causes little social pressure.
"There is a lack of knowledge among the population regarding some practices in this industry. Therefore, there is little mobilization to prevent them from happening", he said.
For Vanessa Garbini, the more people are exposed to reality, the easier it will be to move forward with legislation to prohibit animal cruelty.
"Once you know what happens, you can't forget it. A lot of animals, newborn babies rolling around on mats to be crushed while still conscious. It's practically impossible for a person not to be impressed by this activity", he assesses.
