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Equipment & systems · Hatchery systems

In-ovo sexing systems (emerging)

Hatchery systems that determine the sex of layer embryos in the egg during incubation, so male eggs can be removed before hatch instead of culling day-old male chicks. Methods include imaging through the shell (e.g. hyperspectral or MRI) and analysing a small fluid sample taken through the shell; each method works at its own incubation day and on stated breeds.

Quick answer

In-ovo sexing systems (emerging): Removing male layer embryos before hatch instead of culling day-old male chicks. In a request, state layer breeds and egg shell colours the system must handle; eggs set per week and the throughput needed at the sexing step; required decision day and the legal threshold in the country of operation. HatchMatch reviews it and contacts suppliers for you; supplier, availability, price and origin are confirmed per request.

Request in-ovo sexing systems (emerging)

Intended use: Removing male layer embryos before hatch instead of culling day-old male chicks.

General facts

About this type of product or system in general — not about any supplier.

Application
Layer hatcheries (commercial laying-hen chicks)
Method families
Non-invasive imaging (hyperspectral, MRI) or fluid sampling through a small shell opening[1]
Germany
Chick culling banned since 1 January 2022; interventions limited from incubation day 13, as pain cannot be excluded from then[3]
France
End of male-chick culling in the laying-hen sector announced from 1 January 2023[4]
Adoption estimate
About 40% of EU laying hens from in-ovo sexed hatching as of 1 June 2026 (advocacy-group estimate)[2]
Research example
Visible–NIR spectroscopy reached 97.78% accuracy on day 13 in one study on one brown breed — not a general product figure[5]

Buyer guide: maturity, trade-offs and upkeep

General considerations for this type of system, from the sources on this page — not a review of any supplier or model.

Emerging technologyEarly commercial: in use in a growing share of European layer hatcheries and first US sites, with methods still changing by breed and incubation day.

Advantages

  • Avoids culling of day-old male layer chicks
  • Can help meet laws or retailer commitments that end chick culling
  • Some methods are non-invasive (no shell opening)

Drawbacks

  • Accuracy and decision day differ by method and breed
  • Added cost per egg or per chick, usually passed into the hatching-egg or chick price
  • Removed eggs need an approved outlet

Maintenance

  • Calibration and accuracy checks per breed
  • Software and data-service terms
  • Integration with transfer equipment and hatchery records

Energy and sustainability questions

  • Removes male embryos before hatch rather than rearing or culling males
  • Ask how removed eggs are used (e.g. feed or technical uses) under local rules

Limitations

  • Not every method works on white and brown eggs
  • Laws set incubation-day limits (e.g. Germany: day 13)
  • Published adoption figures are estimates from advocacy and industry sources

Regulatory notes

  • Germany: chick culling banned since 1 January 2022; interventions limited from incubation day 13
  • France: end of male-chick culling in the laying-hen sector from 1 January 2023
  • Check the rules of the country where the hatchery operates

Where manufacturers are based: Technology developers headquartered in Germany, with installations reported in other EU countries and the United States. From HatchMatch desk research of manufacturer websites (October 2026); not exhaustive.

Configuration choices

Options to decide before quoting; no supplier specification is verified on this page.

  • Imaging through the shell or fluid sampling
  • Owned equipment, lease or per-egg service
  • Inline at transfer or as a separate station

Project questions to answer first

  • Which breeds and shell colours do you hatch?
  • Which incubation-day limit applies where the hatchery operates?
  • What happens to removed eggs, and who buys or processes them?

What to specify in your request

  • Layer breeds and egg shell colours the system must handle
  • Eggs set per week and the throughput needed at the sexing step
  • Required decision day and the legal threshold in the country of operation
  • Purchase, lease or per-egg service model, and who handles removed eggs
  • Integration with existing setters, transfer and hatchery data systems

Documents buyers commonly ask for

Where the product and route require them. Requirements differ by product and country; there is no single checklist.

  • Accuracy data by breed and incubation day, with the test basis
  • Throughput data (eggs per hour) and the conditions behind it
  • Evidence that the method meets the animal-welfare rules of the country of operation
  • Service, maintenance and data-ownership terms

Who does what

You (buyer)
State your specification, destination and documents; you keep your own import permissions and due diligence.
HatchMatch
Reviews the request and contacts suppliers on your behalf. It does not produce, sell or export the goods.
Producers and suppliers
Respond through HatchMatch and are responsible for their products meeting the rules that apply.

Related guides

Related categories

Sources and references

Published standards and reference sources for context — not endorsements and not evidence about any supplier.

  1. Innovate Animal Ag: In-ovo sexing technology overview (updated July 2026) (checked 2026-10-23)
  2. Innovate Animal Ag: 2026 In-Ovo Sexing Market Penetration Report (EU estimate as of 1 June 2026) (checked 2026-10-23)
  3. German Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BMLEH): Animal welfare research: in-ovo sex determination (chick-culling ban since 1 Jan 2022; day-13 threshold) (checked 2026-10-23)
  4. French Ministry of Agriculture: End of male-chick culling in the laying-hen sector from 1 January 2023 (checked 2026-10-23)
  5. Poultry Science (via PubMed Central): Visible–near-infrared spectroscopy for in-ovo sexing (2022) (checked 2026-10-23)
  6. WOAH: Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Chapter 6.5 — Biosecurity procedures in poultry production (checked 2026-10-23)

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