We aim to put an end to the practice of killing male one-day-old chicks because they are not of value in the egg business. Unfortunately, we haven't been successful yet.
We had to kill them because because we couldn't find a suitable slaughter facility nor a buyer for the meat. Layer hens and roosters are smaller and don't fit well into the typical large-scale slaughter plants designed for broilers. The challenge is to locate facilities near the Kipster farm capable of accommodating 22,000 hens at a time and ensuring the most humane processing possible.
“It’s one of the most jaw-dropping, least-known facts of American food production: to keep the egg industry running efficiently, hatcheries kill hundreds of millions of newborn male chicks every year.”
National Geographic
Kipster is dedicated to taking care of our chickens. This commitment extends to not euthanizing day-old roosters but rather giving them a chance to contribute to the food system and minimize waste. Ideally, every pound of meat from our chickens could mean one less pound of broiler chicken. But the reality is more complex. We currently have meat in stock that we can no longer use for human consumption, resulting in a financial loss for Kipster, and - more importantly - a setback for our mission to transform the food system.
In summary, we've faced some significant challenges and had to make difficult decisions that we don't take lightly. However, we remain committed to our core principles of raising roosters and making both hens and roosters available for meat consumption. We continue to develop the Kipster meat supply chain, refining recipes together with co-packers and chefs, to introduce meat products that can excite people who prioritize animal welfare and environmental concerns with an explosion of chicken flavor.
Because where there are eggs, there are chickens, and where chickens live, there is meat. It's something we can't deny. As this is a new endeavor, it is proving to take time to develop. We will keep you posted about any new developments or when we are ready to launch the Kipster meat products. Please reach out with questions or concerns at egg @ kipster.farm.