STORTINGET (Dagbladet): Every year, over three million cockerels end up in a grinder with rotating knives during the first three days after being hatched.
The reason is that there are different breeds of chicken that are used for egg and meat production.
But from nature’s side, cockerels are also born, also from the laying breed that is bred in Norway. These are not worth raising. Thus they are euthanized.
The process is called “maceration” in the technical language. This was the fate of 3.8 million rooster chickens in Norway last year – an average of more than 10,000 every day.
– This compromises the values we have and the expectations we have for food production. It is a grotesque practice, says parliamentary representative Une Bastholm (MDG).
– The fact that we produce living beings that are to be ground up within a few hours of their arrival in the world is not something we can really stand for as a society, she says.
EXPECTING EGG SOLUTION: Unde Bastholm (MDG).
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The technology exists
Now Bastholm and MdG demand that agriculture uses available solutions to determine the sex of the chickens in the eggs early.
With the help of German technology, you can quickly determine the sex of the embryo in the egg using a DNA test. In this way, you can carry out a kind of “chicken abortion” of the eggs that will develop into cockerels – before hatching.
The technology is already in use in Norway, including at Steinsland hatchery in Bryne. Nortura has set a target for all Prior eggs to be grinder four by 2025.
Bastholm now expects that the requirement for “mill-free” production of laying hens will be included in the new animal welfare policy, which is scheduled to be presented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food before the summer.
– It will be a disclaimer if this does not happen, but I do not expect anything with the minister we now have. The Center Party uses a number of opportunities to stand out against animal welfare, says Bastholm.
She points out that France and Germany have introduced bans on the grinding of roosters as part of the production of laying hens, from 2023 and 2022 respectively. Italy is introducing a ban from 2027.
– Norway is happy to decorate itself with animal welfare. It is true that we are good at many things, but here we are lagging behind, says Bastholm.
– More expensive eggs
When Bastholm raised the issue in the Storting last year, the then Minister of Agriculture Sandra Borch replied that a ban on the grinding of rooster chickens would be “thoroughly considered” in the upcoming animal welfare report. She also warned of “significant costs”.
Current Agriculture Minister Geir Pollestad declared himself incompetent earlier today in matters concerning decisions relating to rules for broiler chickens. The reason is that his parents own ten percent of Hå hatchery.
However, he is happy to answer questions in this case, which concerns laying hens.
– The animal welfare notification will come during 2024, says Pollestad to Dagbladet.
He has not decided whether a ban on maceration is relevant.
– This is a field where technology changes rapidly. I consider it primarily an ethical issue. A decision has not been taken on the question of how this will be legally treated in the future, says Pollestad.
