Crick Research on Gene editing

[ThinWomansBrain]

I'm planning to read more about it over the weekend, but AIBU to find the news of the Crick research on gene editing to produce single sex eggs and litters a bit dystopian and disturbing?

Also, why aren't the male chicks grown for food, rather than killed the moment their sex is determined?

The dairy and beef industry has been working with sexed semen via ai for around 20 years

Sorry pressed send too soon, I meant to say this is only an extension of that. We have to feed the world somehow and people don't like the idea of being told to stop breeding

Sex selection is available in the USA for ivf.

that's interesting - the news item made it sound as if breaking new ground.

Also, why aren't the male chicks grown for food, rather than killed the moment their sex is determined?

Laying chickens are bred for their ability to lay copious eggs rather than to gain weight rapidly as meat chickens are, so male chicks from laying breeds are essentially useless to both the egg and meat industries.

Gene editing is relatively new ground in comparison to sexed semen and scientists acknowledge that there are ethical and safety considerations to gene editing, but as Woodmarsh says, it’s an efficient way of dealing with the realities of consumer demand and industrial agriculture.