Both Switzerland’s parliament and executive support a ban on the practice of grinding baby chickens alive, according to the newspaper 20 Minutes.
Only female hens can lay eggs. Many of the hens used to produce eggs come from hatcheries that sort and dispose of the male chicks.
A government commission said that while the practice is hardly used anymore in Switzerland it makes sense to ban it.
Current regulation allows the practice provided the blades are set at a sufficiently high speed. If they aren’t some can survive with their bodies mutilated.
Isabelle Chevalley, a parliamentarian, suggests consumers pay a bit more for eggs and eat male chickens as a way to support humane alternative practices. However, given current labelling practices and the barrage of responsible marketing claims made by retailers it is difficult to imagine how consumers could make such choices.
The law required to ban the practice already being drafted.
The move follows a petition by Switzerland’s vegan society entitled: chicks are not rubbish.
More on this:
20 Minutes article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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