BBC star Chris Packham demands supermarkets urgently BAN cruel male chick culling

BBC star Chris Packham demands supermarkets urgently BAN cruel male chick culling Springwatch star Chris Packham took a stand as he signed an urgent letter to major retailers, along with celebs including Dame Joanna Lumley and Succession’s Brian Cox Chris Packham has made an urgent plea for supermarkets to end the cruel culling of male chicks in the egg industry, asking: “What are we waiting for?” The Springwatch presenter, 65, hit out as he signed a letter to major retailers along with stars including Dame Joanna Lumley and Succession’s Brian Cox. Some 45 million hours-old male chicks are killed each year in the UK because they cannot lay eggs or be used for meat. But despite increasing public awareness of the issue, it remains widespread. Branding the practice “wasteful and cruel,” Packham added: “Male chick culling has no place in the UK. Other countries have already embraced alternatives, yet the UK continues to lag behind. I urge the UK egg industry and retailers to listen to the public and take urgent action to end male chick culling once and for all.” Others backing the fight, led by the Vegetarian Society, include actress Sadie Frost, kids author Cathy Caddidy and comedian Dave Spikey. It comes as the society's Ban Hatch and Dispatch petition has amassed more than 40,000 signatures, including over 100 politicians. Public Affairs lead Jenny Canham said: “Retailers are a key part of the solution to ending male chick culling in the UK. We know the public overwhelmingly supports ending this practice, yet the vast majority of eggs on sale still come from systems where it is routinely carried out. With the UK now rapidly falling behind other countries, a joined-up approach across industry and government is urgently needed to make male chick culling a thing of the past.” The letter, signed by 11 celebrities, has been sent to bosses at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Morrisons and Lidl. Many previously argued male chick culling was essential to provide food for captive reptiles, but new research has now identified alternatives.