Expansion of Cheggy capacities enables necessary production volume by the end of the year

Paris, 05.02.2022. After France's phase-out of chick-killing was announced in July 2021, the official decree has now been passed after several months of preparation.

It states that hatcheries will have to equip themselves with in ovo sexing technologies during a transition period until the end of 2022 in order to implement the ban on chick killing from 2023. AAT has already been active in France since 2019 and the further expansion of CHEGGY capacity at Hy-Line and Lohmann France will be completed by the end of the year. Hy-Line and Lohmann will be able to provide 30-40 million in ovo-sexed brown layers per year thanks to the fully automated technology.

The French decree allows in ovo sexing procedures up to the 15th day of incubation. For the currently applicable technologies, planning security is guaranteed for five years.

With the CHEGGY technology, AAT currently has the most sustainable and efficient method for in ovo sex determination on the market. In addition, AAT offers STUNNY, a unique and innovative solution for the animal welfare-friendly stunning of male embryos.

More information about CHEGGY can be found here.

More information about STUNNY can be found here.

Official Decree of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food:
Décret n° 2022-137 du 5 février 2022 relatif à l'interdiction de mise à mort des poussins des lignées de l'espèce Gallus gallus destinées à la production d'œufs de consommation et à la protection des animaux dans le cadre de leur mise à mort en dehors des établissements d'abattage - Légifrance (legifrance.gouv.fr)