Chook Me!

What happens to male chicks in *free range* poultry/egg farms??

For *free range* farms, are there guidelines or rules against killing male chicks?? I know it's common to kill the male chicks for regular egg producers, but what about free range? sorry, I meant to say hatcheries as well as farms.

Public Comments

1. You don't wanna' know...
2. Free range chickens are killed for meat just like regular chickens. They are preferred because it is a more humane and healthy way to raise the chickens and because they can have better flavor and less fat.
3. they are turned into marshmallow peeps :(
4. Free-range male chicks are also killed just like from conventional producers. They are either killed shortly after hatching or are bred to become meat. The free-range farms don't give their male chicks to farm sanctuaries, that's for sure. So, ethically, free-range is still slaughter. It's still raising helpless animals for the gluttony of humans. :(
5. They are sold to other poultry raisers, castrated at 6-20 weeks of age and sold as capons which are castrated roosters /cockerels that grow a lot bigger than regular chickens (about 8-10lbs). As far as I know, the process of castrating roosters is banned in the UK and commonwealth though sale of capon meat is not. They have a higher fat content and since are not as aggressive as uncastrated roosters, sometimes act as female chickens and mother chicks. PS killing of male chicks in egg farms is not common as to be almost nonexistent as there is no fertilization in egg farms hence no chicks are born at all. A llot of the killing happens in hatcheries where female chicks are sent ot contract growers.