Why do chicken companies dispose of baby roosters?

Sexing chicks (determining whether they are a hen or a rooster) requires considerable skill and is done at this very early stage to determine their fate. If strong and ... Male chicks are considered an unwanted byproduct of egg production and are killed and disposed of shortly after birth. read more

Roosters are of course, very important for this aspect of the business, but only selected roosters. Secondly, there is the fertilization program. To make chicks, you need roosters, but again, only selected roosters with the right genetics. read more

So each rooster out there can produce (well, at least his part of the process) something like 60 fertilized eggs per day. Assuming about 80% of those hatch into chickens, each rooster produces something like 17,000 chickens per year. You really don’t need that many. read more

Sexed chickens have been inspected and have a high chance of being a hen. With a straight run, you pay less but have a 50% chance of getting a rooster. If even the 99% chance in of getting a hen when buying a sexed chicken isn’t enough for you, buy a sex-linked chicken. Sex-linked chickens are a cross between two breeds. read more