HATCHTECH group is now the sole owner of egg sexing startup Seleggt after purchasing retailer Rewe Group’s 50% stake in the business.
Hatchtech and Rewe Group jointly founded egg sexing firm Seleggt in 2017 and launched the respeggt brand in 2019.
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Seleggt uses gender identification in the hatching egg process on day nine of incubation to identify whether a hatching egg is male or female.
This allows hatcheries only to hatch female chicks and avoid the traditional practice of culling male chicks directly after hatching.
Seven of the Seleggt gender identification machines have been installed and are operational, with a total capacity of around 20 million laying hens.
Further development
Tjitze Meter, founder and chief executive of Hatchtech Group, said: “Our collaboration with REWE Group has been vital in establishing Seleggt and respeggt, particularly in the German market.
“Together, we completed the startup phase for these ventures and have put a strong technology foundation in place.
“With a continuous strong focus on research and development, we are ready to further develop our offerings.
“This next stage will allow us to bring Seleggt and respeggt eggs to a global audience.”