Guinea fowl, pheasants, and partridges raised for shooting are often kept in poor conditions before release. The welfare of captive-reared gamebirds deserves greater regulatory attention.
The welfare of captive-reared gamebirds spans both rearing pen conditions and the welfare of released birds who face an unfamiliar environment. High-density rearing pens cause frustration of natural ranging behavior. Released birds that are poorly adapted to wild conditions experience starvation and predation as significant welfare harms. Welfare improvements in gamebird systems require both better rearing standards and more realistic assessment of post-release outcomes.