The UK releases approximately 57 million game birds annually for shooting. The welfare conditions of rearing, release and shooting itself are subject to increasing scrutiny.
Game bird production for shooting occupies an unusual regulatory position - birds are considered wildlife once released, removing them from most farmed animal welfare protections during rearing and entirely after release. The welfare concerns are numerous: intensive rearing conditions with beak clipping, the stress of release into an unfamiliar environment, high mortality from predation and starvation, and the welfare of birds shot but not cleanly killed. The conservation argument - that shooting estates manage habitat for other wildlife - is real but contested as a justification for the welfare costs to game birds themselves. Regulatory reform to extend welfare protections throughout the game bird supply chain is overdue.