New Sector-Wide Initiative Introduces Genus Focus for In-Ovo Sexing in Switzerland to End Chick Culling

In a sector-wide initiative that can be categorized as nothing short of innovative, Switzerland is effectively putting an end to chick culling. Starting in early 2025, Swiss hatcheries are introducing the Genus Focus for in-ovo sexing to determine the sex of chicken embryos before hatching. The Genus Focus is an AI-based imaging technology built by the Munich-based company Orbem and its automation partner, Vencomatic Group. Switzerland’s proactive choice to introduce in-ovo sexing represents a major move towards increased animal welfare, sustainability, as well as economical thinking. With their unanimous decision to end chick culling, Switzerland’s poultry stakeholders are setting a precedent. For the first time, a nation-wide decision to end the practice of chick-culling was made without regulatory enforcement.

Swiss egg producers first voiced their intention to end chick culling back in 2020. The quest for viable alternatives began and a joint task force was set up, consisting of GalloSuisse, Aviforum, and the two hatcheries Animalco and Prodavi. Together, they searched for an ethical, responsible solution that would also be operationally efficient. For many years, no solution could be found that met all poultry stakeholders’ criteria. Neither raising male chicks nor the use of dual-purpose breeds (performant for both the layer and broiler markets) were deemed feasible alternatives for the conventional, non-organic poultry sector. Ultimately, Orbem’s non-invasive method for classifying eggs before the start of pain perception met the bar to address the Swiss market’s requirements.

“Orbem’s Genus Focus has convinced Switzerland. The fascinating combination of MRI and AI sparked our initial interest, but when we heard the real-life examples and success stories, we were fully on board. The task force was convinced by the fully automated, non-invasive technology that can be seamlessly included in hatcheries’ production processes. We are excited to tackle the end of chick culling with Orbem and to take a big step towards increased animal welfare. This move marks an important contribution to the responsible production of Swiss eggs,” the Swiss task force commented.

The Genus Focus for in-ovo sexing combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) with accelerated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to analyze the internal structure of developing eggs on days 11 and 12 of incubation. The fully automated and non-invasive technology has no impact on hatchability, works for all breeds, and allows for a maximum throughput of 24,000 eggs per hour. Because the Genus Focus is a modular solution, hatcheries can process their entire volumes, increasing their egg-scanning output and keeping up with growing market demand. Within less than 2 years after launching the Genus Focus, more than 60 million eggs have been scanned and classified using the technology in hatcheries across Europe.

Dr. Pedro Gómez, Co-Founder and CEO of Orbem, remarks, “The Swiss sector-wide initiative marks a major move towards increased sustainability and shows that Switzerland is willing to invest in the future. Choosing the Genus Focus means that the sector will profit from the continuous updates and optimizations only an AI-based technology can provide. We are honored to be a part of this big step and to see the sector recognizing the advantages of a non-invasive, fully automated solution that works for all breeds”.

“Finding solutions leading to increased animal welfare and enabling more efficient operations is key for the development of an even more future-proof poultry sector. We are proud that the Swiss hatcheries have selected the Genus Focus, our fully automated in-ovo sexing solution, to help them achieve their ambitious goals”, says Lotte van de Ven, CEO of Vencomatic Group.

The positive impact of Orbem’s technology on sustainability and efficiency in the poultry industry extends beyond in-ovo sexing. Examples include egg fertilization status detection before incubation and phenotyping. The Orbem team intends to unlock the transformative potential for future applications in the coming years.