An undercover video shot by an animal rights group at an Iowa egg hatchery shows workers discarding unwanted male chicks by tossing them live into a grinder, and other chicks falling through a sorting machine to die on the factory floor. Chicago-based Mercy for Animals said it shot the video at Hy-Line North America's hatchery in Spencer, Iowa, over a two-week period in May and June.
Hy-Line said the video "appears to show an inappropriate action and violation of our animal welfare policies," referring to chicks on the factory floor. But the company also noted that "instantaneous euthanasia"—a reference to killing of male chicks by the grinder—is a standard practice supported by the animal veterinary and scientific community. According to Mercy for Animals, male chicks are of no use to the industry because they cannot lay eggs and do not grow large quickly enough to be raised profitably for meat.
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