Australia's first commercial in-ovo sexed chicks delivered
McLean Farms first egg producer to receive the technology
15 June 2026
1 minute read
By: Specialised Breeders Australia (SBA) has delivered the country's first commercial in-ovo sexed day-old chicks to McLean Farms, making it the first egg producer in Australia to receive chicks produced using in-ovo sex determination technology, according to a company press release.
The inaugural placement was made in June 2026. In May, SBA announced it had become the first company in the Asia-Pacific region to introduce in-ovo sexing for commercial egg producers, using Agri Advanced Technology's Cheggy technology. Cheggy uses non-invasive, hyperspectral light-based optical analysis to determine the sex of a chick prior to hatching at a commercially viable scale.
With the first commercial placement now complete, Australia joins a growing number of countries — including Germany, France, Brazil and the United States — where the technology is being used commercially. In the EU, in-ovo sexing technology has reached 28% market penetration.
According to an Australian consumer survey conducted by Ipsos in August 2025 on behalf of Innovate Animal Ag, 84% of 1,000 respondents expressed interest in purchasing in-ovo sexed eggs, and 66% were willing to pay a premium.
SBA will produce in-ovo sexed chicks as an additional product offering from June 2026, registered with the "Certified Humane" trademark.
"The delivery of Australia's first commercial in-ovo sexed chicks is a proud moment for SBA and a genuine milestone for our industry," said Eugene Viljoen, chief executive officer of Specialised Breeders Australia. "As Australia's market-leading supplier of commercial layer genetics, we are investing in innovations that support the long-term needs of egg producers: our belief is that Australian producers deserve access to the best technology the world has to offer and should be able to produce new products in response to changing consumer expectations."
"The commercial delivery of in-ovo sexed chicks is a positive development for our industry, that will provide greater, high-welfare product options for layers and the end consumer," said Melinda Hashimoto, chief executive officer of Egg Farmers of Australia. "We congratulate SBA and McLean Farms on this milestone."
