IMO, genetic modification is less humane than grinding the male chicks. In any case, the breeders for the egg layers likely already have logistics in place for the ground baby chicks (pet food, fertilizer, etc) which is likely easier to process than aborted eggs. Since the eggs will presumably be incubated, they won't be human consumable, and how you have an additional waste stream to work with.<p>Every single laying chicken also dies or gets killed in industrialized farms (indeed, all living things on Earth die eventually), and it's likely a less-instantaneous process than the rooster grinder.