In-ovo sexing gains momentum in poultry sector amid rising adoption, new innovations

EUROPE – In-ovo sexing technology is gaining substantial traction in the poultry sector, particularly in Europe, where societal and legislative pressures have prompted hatcheries to seek alternatives to male chick culling. 

As of April 2024, approximately 78.4 million of the 389 million hens in the European Union were sexed in-ovo, representing a 20% market penetration, a notable increase from 15% in September 2023.

The growing adoption of in-ovo sexing is driven largely by bans on male chick culling in countries like Germany, France, and Italy. 

This technology allows producers to determine the sex of chicks early in the incubation process, ensuring that only females are hatched, thus avoiding the need to cull male chicks—a practice that has been a source of considerable ethical concern.

Key developments

Agri Advanced Technologies (AAT), a leader in non-invasive in-ovo sex determination, has announced that its in-ovo sexing system, Cheggy, will be deployed in two U.S. hatcheries in 2024. 

This marks a significant step toward adopting the technology in North America. Jörg Hurlin, founder and CEO of AAT, emphasized the transformative potential of this innovation, which not only enhances animal welfare but also aligns with the growing demand for sustainable practices in the industry.

In Europe, AAT has installed its Cheggy Zoom machines at Hatchery van Gent and Lohmann Ankum hatchery, signaling to expand market penetration.

NestFresh, a prominent U.S.-based specialty egg producer, announced plans to be the first company in the United States to offer eggs produced by in-ovo sexed hens. 

These eggs are expected to hit the market by mid-2025 and will carry a third-party certification to assure consumers of the ethical practices behind their production.

In Switzerland, two of the country’s main hatcheries, Animalco and Prodavi, will adopt Orbem’s in-ovo sexing machines by 2025. 

The decision, made voluntarily by the Swiss poultry industry, underscores the widespread shift toward ending male chick culling, even in countries without government mandates. Orbem also plans to expand to a hatchery in Norway.

Technological advances

In addition to market growth, new research is driving further improvements in in-ovo sexing.

A recent study published in Computer and Electronics in Agriculture explored the use of hyperspectral imaging combined with AI, specifically using Transformer attention architectures (popularized by tech giants like Google), to sex embryos with 95% accuracy by day 10 of incubation. 

This approach could potentially revolutionize in-ovo sexing by expanding its applicability to brown and white-layer hens, a limitation of current technology.

With these innovations and growing market acceptance, in-ovo sexing is positioned to become a pivotal technology in the poultry industry, addressing ethical concerns and boosting efficiency across the global egg supply chain.

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