The milestone marks a shift in commercial egg production, moving away from the traditional practice of euthanizing male chicks shortly after birth. Utilizing the Cheggy system developed by Agri Advanced Technologies, NestFresh identifies the sex of developing chicks early in the incubation process, diverting male eggs before they reach the hatching stage. This practice is now verified under Certified Humane® standards through Humane Farm Animal Care.
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NestFresh Saves 1.2 Million Male Chicks via In-Ovo Sexing
By deploying non-invasive in-ovo sexing technology, California-based egg producer NestFresh has prevented the culling of 1.2 million male chicks. The company, which launched its Humanely Hatched™ program in 2024, now expects to reach 1.5 million spared chicks by the end of 2026 as it expands the initiative across its brand portfolio.
NestFresh is accelerating the adoption of this technology across its labels, with New Barn Organics transitioning to 100% Humanely Hatched™ sourcing. The Country Hen brand is slated to follow by 2027. Jasen Urena, Vice President of NestFresh, noted that the program has evolved from an industry-hesitant concept into a scalable reality. The effort has earned support from the ASPCA, which lists the eggs on its ShopKind™ platform. Nancy Roulston, Senior Director of Corporate Policy for the ASPCA, stated that the company’s leadership demonstrates how feasible technological solutions can address long-standing welfare concerns in the industry.
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