The court first ruled in 2016 that a ban on male chick culling was unlawful, stating that it is simply a part of the process of supplying eggs and meat to the population.

The ruling will be a shock to many in Germany who have worked to develop dual-purpose breeds to avoid the need for male-chick culling. Others have also worked to develop "brother hen" campaigns or technology to identify the sex of chicks before they hatch.

The federal court said Thursday a company's economic interests don't constitute a "sensible reason" under animal protection laws for killing the birds. But it said techniques to determine chicks' gender in the egg should soon be available and hatcheries shouldn't be asked to change their practice twice.