In a recent study, the German Federal Agricultural Ministry discovered that chicken embryos can't feel pain before day 13 of incubation. Germany's ban on chick culling, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2024, forced the poultry sector to look for alternative solutions, one of which is in-ovo sexing. 

The discovery is good news for several reasons. First. German law was set to enforce a day-7 ban. The results of the study, however, mean it is likely to be adjusted to a day-13 ban. Currently there is no in-ovo egg sexing technology on the market that can sex before day 7, but many can accurately sex before day 13. Currently available technology is ready to be adopted globally. 

"We were extremely heartened by the German government's finding that chicken embryos cannot feel pain before day 13 of incubation," says Robert Yaman, Executive Director of Innovate Animal Ag. "We believe this finding reinforces the fact that the in-ovo egg sexing solutions that are already having success in Europe are ready for the US market."

Innovate Animal Ag is a nonprofit whose mission is to support new agricultural technologies that improve animal health and wellbeing.