Australia Becomes First Country in Asia-Pacific to Adopt In-Ovo Sexing: A Milestone for the Region's Egg Industry

Specialised Breeders Australia (SBA) announced the introduction of in-ovo sexing technology to Australia — making it the first country in the entire Asia-Pacific region to adopt the technology. SBA, Australia's largest supplier of day-old chicks and point-of-lay pullets, will utilize AAT’s Cheggy in-ovo sexing machine, with in-ovo sexed chicks becoming available to customers from 1 June 2026.

This development occurs as in-ovo sexing continues its rapid global expansion. The technology surpassed a 28% market penetration in the European Union early last year and is now operational in countries across multiple continents including Brazil, where Raiar Orgânicos became the first Latin American producer to adopt Cheggy in mid-2025, and the United States, where NestFresh has successfully rolled out their Humanely Hatched eggs. Australia's entry marks the technology's arrival in yet another major egg-producing region.

A representative from SBA noted that they “are pleased to offer our customers the opportunity to differentiate themselves by utilising a technology developed and refined over more than 15 years," and that “over the past two years, we’ve had growing conversations with customers, regulators, and NGOs about the future of animal welfare in layer production. This step reflects those discussions — and our ongoing commitment to supporting choice, transparency, and progress across the industry.”

Innovate Animal Ag's Australian consumer survey, conducted by Ipsos in August 2025 with 1,000 Australian consumers, highlighted strong market demand in Australia for eggs produced using in-ovo sexing. 84% of respondents expressed interest in purchasing in-ovo sexed eggs, and 66% were willing to pay a premium. Most notably, 48% of consumers said they would even switch egg brands for one that uses in-ovo sexing, and a third would even consider changing grocery stores to find them.

All in-ovo sexed chicks produced by SBA will carry the Certified Humane Approved Hatchery certification, which was rolled out in the US market following the introduction of the technology. With Cheggy-produced chicks available from 1 June 2026 and a typical grow-out period of 18 to 24 weeks, the first Australian eggs produced using in-ovo sexing should begin reaching consumers in late 2026 to early 2027.

For more on in-ovo sexing, explore Innovate Animal Ag's In-Ovo Sexing Overview, Australian Consumer Survey, and Market Penetration Forecast.