By the beginning of 2024 at the latest, the killing of conventional eggs should come to an end in Switzerland. Then the sex determination of the chicks with the so-called in-ovo method should take place in the egg. As a result, only female chicks should be hatched. At least that’s what GalloSuisse wrote in a media release on December 9, 2021. It is still unclear whether these plans will actually be implemented on time. «Espresso» asked Daniel Würgler, President of GalloSuisse, how things are going.
SRF: Why is the solution presented with the in-ovo method not implemented now, but only in two years?
Daniel Würgler: We presented this solution to the entire industry. Now we need everyone’s approval first so that this path can be taken by the end of 2023.
Does that mean that the end of chick killing could be canceled again with conventional eggs?
I hope not. We tried to work out a good solution that everyone involved could support.
This solution should come into effect at the end of 2023, that’s another two years. Aren’t you just dawdling there? Migros has been offering so-called “Respeggt” eggs with the same in-ovo technology for a year.
No, we’re not dawdling at all. Everything that is on the market so far, eggs from dual-purpose chickens or from the Bruderhahn rearing as well as the “Respeggt” eggs are products that are now in a test phase. Such technology is not built up overnight.
If it were implemented immediately, it would no longer be possible to produce in Switzerland.
If it were implemented immediately, it would no longer be possible to produce in Switzerland. You would have to import animals and that would mean that you would have to accept compromises in animal welfare and the keeping of older animals. We do not want such a step backwards.
By the end of 2023, conventional eggs should end with the killing of chicks, what does that mean in concrete terms? Will you have to choose between eggs with and without chick killing in the store?
Basically, the hatcheries have converted by then, so that from 2023 no more hens hatch whose brothers have been killed.
How Much More Expensive Are These In-OVO Eggs? What more do consumers have to pay per egg?
We cannot say exactly yet. We have estimated and calculated the costs. These must now first be approved by all levels.
If the technology can be implemented in the overall market, it will be quite cheap for all levels and also for consumers.
But I can say: If the technology, although it is very expensive, can be implemented on the overall market, it will be quite cheap for all levels and also for consumers.
Concretely, are we talking about a few cents?
When it comes to eggs, people always talk about black horses, and that will also be the case here. In the end, it will be a few francs in the consumer’s annual budget.
There is also criticism of these plans from the animal welfare side. This in-ovo method does not do much with regard to animal welfare: it makes no big difference whether chicks or embryos kill.
I think it’s a big difference, but it’s not the perfect solution. It is a bridging technology that is expected to be used for five years. The best solution would be to be able to do the sexing before the incubation process. (Editor’s note: So far, this can only be done from the 9th day.) Nevertheless, the in-ovo method is a very sustainable and resource-saving solution. You don’t need more animals, stalls or fodder to produce Swiss eggs.
The interview was conducted by Yvonne Hafner.