Ethical Concerns in Poultry Production: A German Consumer Survey About Dual Purpose Chickens

Abstract

The paper offers insights into the acceptability of ethical issues in poultry production and how this situation provides an opportunity to transform the prevailing system into a more sustainable one. The survey among German consumers reveals that killing day-old chicks is a well-known practice and is rated as "very problematic". In contrast, dual-purpose chickens are mostly unknown but are considered a positive alternative to killing day-old chicks (after the concept has been explained). Consumer clusters were identified regarding purchasing criteria for dual-purpose chickens, purchasing routines and socioeconomic factors. Three of the five clusters-the perfectionists, idealists, and realists-turned out to be potential buyers. To develop a suitable marketing strategy, it is recommended that the added value of dual-purpose chickens be comprehensibly communicated. From a multi-level perspective, rearing dual-purpose chickens has a competitive disadvantage compared to system-compliant alternatives (in-ovo sexing, "lay hen brothers"). Through increasing external pressure, the different alternatives can jointly contribute to a regime shift.

Meat Quality Parameters and Sensory Properties of One High-Performing and Two Local Chicken Breeds Fed with Vicia faba

“…Finally, it is important to mention that consumers see the concept of dual-purpose breeds as a more animal-friendly practice [1,5,47,48] for which they would be willing to pay a higher price if meat quality is improved while their expectations on animal welfare are met [1,4,5]. Additionally, studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay more for regional products [49,50].…”

My Meat Does Not Have Feathers: Consumers’ Associations with Pictures of Different Chicken Breeds

“…Among these alternatives is the use of dual-purpose breeds (DPBs) that can be used for egg production (female animals) and broiler production (male animals) (Damme 2015;Krautwald-Junghanns et al 2018). However, the concept of DPBs is not familiar to most consumers (Gangnat et al 2018;Brümmer et al 2017;Busse et al 2019). Nonetheless, when introduced to this alternative, consumers see it as a positive practice that is more animal-friendly and ethically justifiable (Gangnat et al 2018;Brümmer et al 2017;Leenstra et al 2011;Busse et al 2019).…”

“…However, the concept of DPBs is not familiar to most consumers (Gangnat et al 2018;Brümmer et al 2017;Busse et al 2019). Nonetheless, when introduced to this alternative, consumers see it as a positive practice that is more animal-friendly and ethically justifiable (Gangnat et al 2018;Brümmer et al 2017;Leenstra et al 2011;Busse et al 2019). Nowadays, there are commercial DPBs available such as Lohmann Dual (Lohmann Tierzucht GmbH, Cuxhaven, Germany), and traditional DPBs that have a lower fattening/laying performance (Mueller et al 2018), for example Vorwerkhuhn, which are used rarely on farms.…”

Dual-Purpose Poultry in Organic Egg Production and Effects on Egg Quality Parameters

“…This fact is associated with both ethical and economic issues in modern egg production as 50% of hatched eggs are wasted. A recent survey among 1000 German consumers shows that 67% of them find the practice of killing day-old chicks ‘very problematic’ [ 5 ]. As some countries, like Germany and France, have taken initiatives on a national level to ban the practice of killing of day-old male layer chicks by 2022 [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], solutions for handling the male layer chickens are necessary.…”

“…However, the benefits of such strategies have not been assessed in the light of consumer/citizen expectations or in comparison to slow-growing broilers reared outdoors. Most consumers, e.g., 82% of German consumers [ 5 ], are not familiar with dual-purpose poultry, i.e., both meat and egg production can be carried out by the same genotype.…”