Israeli researchers have said that they have developed gene-edited hens that could prevent the slaughter of billions of male chickens every year.

Scientists from the Volcani institute near Tel Aviv have gene-edited DNA into the hens that can stop the development of any male embryos that they lay, which is activated when the eggs are exposed to blue light for several hours.

This would avoid the slaughter of male chickens who are culled every year because they do not lay eggs.

Speaking to BBC News, Dr Yuval Cinnamon said that what he calls the "Golda hen" will have an enormous impact on the egg-production industry: "I am very happy that we have developed a system that I think can truly revolutionise the industry, first of all for the benefit of the chickens but also for all of us, because this is an issue that affects every person on the planet."

Dr Cinnamon added that female chicks are not affected by the blue light, and that no DNA is added to either the hens or the eggs that they lay.

"Farmers will get the same chicks they get today and consumers will get exactly the same eggs they get today. The only minor difference in the production process is that the eggs will be exposed to blue light."

The research has not been peer-reviewed because the researchers intend to license the technology. However, UK-based animal welfare organisation Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) visited the firm, followed the research as it was conducted, and has said that it could be a "really important development" for animal welfare.

CIWF's chief policy advisor Peter Stephenson told BBC News: "Normally I am very wary of using gene editing of farm animals. But this is an exceptional case and I, and my colleagues at CIWF are supportive of it.

"The next important step is to see whether the hen and the female chicks she produces, who will lay eggs for human consumption, can go through a commercial lifespan without any unexpected welfare issues arising."

The charity estimates that approximately seven billion male chicks are killed each year as they are of no commercial value to the egg-production industry. The process is also lengthy due to the need to manually sort male from female chicks by hand.

The practice was outlawed in Germany at the beginning of the year, and France is also exploring similar proposals. Concerns about the practice span the EU, but the UK government has yet to express a position.