Ovabrite, Vital Farms’ new subsidiary has partnered with an Israeli tech company called Novatrans to create the TeraEgg. An article in Poultry Times talks about this innovation that can possibly end the deaths of 7 billion chicks a year.

Male chicks of the egg laying breeds do not produce enough meat to justify allowing them to grow into adulthood. This is why culling is practiced. It may involve suffocation, maceration and other methods. Aside from the animal welfare aspect, infertile and male eggs can also set companies back financially. In total, egg producers waste $440 million on these wasted eggs.

Ovabrite’s TeraEgg was created to detect gender and fertility during the chicken embryo development process. This allows hatcheries to remove both male and infertile eggs before incubation. The aim is for these eggs to be repurposed for human consumption, which is far better than being destroyed post-incubation. This move will allow companies to make a profit out of these eggs as well.

“The welfare and ethical treatment of animals has always been at the forefront for Vital Farms, not just for egg-laying hens, but all farm animals,” according to Matt O’Hayer, the  founder and CEO of Vital Farms. “While chick culling has long been an accepted practice in the egg industry, Vital Farms has been working for years alongside industry experts and animal welfare groups to evaluate and identify potential solutions to this practice. TeraEgg has the potential to be one of the greatest advancements in the recent history of animal welfare,” he added.

This is a promising development that will address animal welfare concerns in the poultry industry. TeraEgg will be the first viable solution. It works by analyzing organic compounds obtained by means of a proprietary technique developed by Vital Farms’ Ovabrite with Novatrans.

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Trish Valenzuela, CPC • Recruiter

Male Chick CullingTrish Valenzuela specializes in recruiting for poultry feed additive companies.  She has filled positions in technical support, sales and sales management across the USA.

Trish joined Continental Search in July 2015 and through hard study she passed two certification programs. She is now a Certified Personnel Consultant and a Professional Recruiting Consultant.

Send her your resume at trish@consearch.com or call her at (302) 248-8242.  Visit her LinkedIn profile to connect with her and stay updated with current poultry trends. Trish can be reached at (302) 248-8242, through LinkedIn or trish@consearch.com.