Dame Joanna Lumley joins cross-party politicians to demand swift action to end ‘cruel’ killing of millions of chicks every year

London – Dame Joanna Lumley has joined MPs and peers from across the political spectrum to urge the government to act swiftly to end the ‘cruel’ culling of millions of male chicks, backing a new roadmap that sets out how the practice can be phased out. 

The intervention comes after the government signalled its intent to act. In its Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published in December 2025, Ministers said: “We would like to see an end to the practice of killing day-old chicks.” Campaigners say the new roadmap shows exactly how that promise can now be delivered.

Dame Joanna Lumley, actress and animal advocate, said:  

“I’m proud to support this roadmap giving the government a path forward to end cruel male chick culling. As a nation of animal lovers, this unnecessary practice has no place here. Let’s move forward and ban hatch and dispatch.” 

Each year in the UK, an estimated 45 million male chicks are killed within hours of hatching because they cannot lay eggs and are not used for meat. 

Over 40,000 members of the public have signed the Ban Hatch & Dispatch petition, and other celebrities including wildlife presenter and conservationist Chris Packham CBE, comedian Dave Spikey, actor Brian Cox and celebrity vet Dr Marc Abraham OBE have previously spoken out. 

The roadmap, developed by the Vegetarian Society with input from experts across animal welfare, food, farming and technology, calls on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to move quickly to turn ambition into action. 

Backed by a growing cross-party coalition, the plan sets out three immediate steps: 

• A Defra-led summit within months to agree a clear deadline to end the practice  

• A dedicated working group to deliver a practical transition plan for industry  

• Legislation as a backstop if voluntary action falls short  

The roadmap is endorsed by 19 cross-party politicians including Sarah Champion MP, Kerry McCarthy MP, Carla Denyer MP and Adrian Ramsay MP. 

Irene Campbell MP, who has been leading the call to end male chick culling in Parliament, said:  

“Our campaign has almost 90 supporters in Parliament, from across the political spectrum. It is clear that to make real progress, my Defra colleagues must take a central role in moving this process forward.” 

The proposals build on momentum from the Ban Hatch & Dispatch campaign by the Vegetarian Society, launched in April 2025, and follow a parliamentary roundtable earlier this year bringing together politicians, scientists, welfare experts and international industry leaders. 

Jenny Canham, Public Affairs Lead at the Vegetarian Society, said: 

“With public concern growing and political support mounting, the question is no longer whether the UK will end chick culling – but how quickly it will act. Every year of delay means almost 45 million male chicks are needlessly killed within hours of hatching, simply because they are deemed useless to the industry. 

This roadmap is a call for swift action, and we hope the government listens.” 

A growing number of countries are phasing out the practice of male chick culling, with the UK increasingly seen as falling behind international developments. Norway is the latest country to announce plans to transition away from the practice by 2027, with its egg industry already adopting in-ovo sexing technology, which enables the sex of an egg to be determined before hatching. 

END 

Notes for Editors   

• For all press enquiries, please contact press@vegsoc.org  

• The roadmap is available here and has been shared with Dame Angela Eagle, Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 

• It is signed by 19 politicians: Siân Berry MP (Green) Baroness Burt of Solihull (Liberal Democrat) Irene Campbell MP (Labour) Sarah Champion MP (Labour) Ellie Chowns MP (Green) Carla Denyer MP (Green) Neil Duncan-Jordan MP (Labour) Patricia Ferguson MP (Labour) Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative) Baroness Hussein-Ece (Liberal Democrat) Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green) Terry Jermy MP (Labour) Kerry McCarthy MP (Labour) Nav Mishra MP (Labour) Abtisam Mohamed MP (Labour) Iqbal Mohamed MP (Independent) Adrian Ramsay MP (Green) Lord Sikka (Labour) Hannah Spencer MP (Green) and supported by Dame Joanna Lumley. The letter is available here 

• The petition to Ban Hatch & Dispatch has over 40,000 signatures from members of the public and can be found here  

About the Vegetarian Society 

The Vegetarian Society is a charity formed in 1847. Together we are working towards a better life for all. A better life for animals, for people and for the planet. We know small changes by many can make a huge difference. We work with communities, businesses, and policy-makers to drive real change. From recipes and cookery classes to political campaigning, we produce good food to fuel the good fight. Find out more at vegsoc.org.