| In England the standard way is to gas the chicks
I'm referring to the US. Specifically, there was a case where an animal rights group (maybe PETA?) sued a farmer (in Montana?) for using one of those two techniques, and the judge threw it out as acceptable because it was standard industry practice.
| Killing off the males is a problem for dairy
| cattle too
My understanding is that, in the US, they send these males off to become veal (so technically people that are vegetarian for ethical reasons -- "I don't want to kill animals" -- are supporting animal killing anyway).
Dairy cattle males may not be suitable as commercial veal, like not all sheep breeds are suitable as meat sheep.
If they are suitable, then you've got to deal with either raising them from birth as white veal or, allowing them a bit more freedom in movement and food, as rose veal.
Just to add another animal to the mix, the same problem can be seen in dairy goat herds in countries where goat isn't consumed by the majority of the population.
In England the standard way is to gas the chicks. Killing off the males is a problem for dairy cattle too. Cows produce milk to feed their young.
Beak trimming is normally reserved for egg laying birds. (Meat birds are slaughtered for meat before pecking becomes much of a problem).