Around 50 million pheasants and 10 million partridges are released annually in the UK for shooting, raising significant questions about both rearing conditions and the killing process.
Pheasants reared in barren pens show feather pecking, aggression, and stress behaviours similar to poultry in intensive systems. Released birds have limited survival skills and high mortality from non-shooting causes. The welfare of birds not shot - the majority - includes starvation, predation, and road accidents. The shooting process itself, when conducted by skilled guns, can result in quick death; poorly shot birds experience injury and prolonged suffering. The scale of bird use and the welfare implications deserve greater public attention.